Reflection
Thanks be to you, O God,
for the strong arm
of those who have given us shelter in our life.
who loved us in the womb
and carried us as children,
who guarded us as watchful angels
and wept when we were in pain.
J. Philip Newell
This season of thanksgiving is a time to be grateful for the parents and elders who have guided our lives. Who they are or were in our lives has played a major part in who we have become. Their values and influence were our starting point. Their ongoing support was our strength and comfort. We remember them though many may be gone. We will always carry a piece of them within us. Let us be grateful.
Prayer
May I be grateful for those who guided my life.
Action
Who are those who cared for you as a child and guided your life? If they are still with you, let them know you are grateful. If not, share your memories and remember their example.
Suggested Reading
Wisdom is with the aged, and understanding in length of days.
Job 12:12
Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.
Proverbs 22:6
The people that does not care for its children or grandparents is a people that has not future. Because it doesn’t have the strength or the memory to go forward.
Pope Francis
It is not how much you do, but how much love you put in the doing.
Mother Teresa
Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.
Leo Buscaglia
To care for those who once cared for us is one of the highest honors.
Tia Walker
Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.
Lao Tzu
Caring about others, running the risk of feeling, and leaving an impact on people, brings happiness.
Rabbi Harold Kushner
The simple act of caring is heroic.
Edward Albert
A good example is the best gift you can offer to your children. In your absence, your example is present, which means you are present always!”
Israelmore Ayivo
Open the window to your heart…..Release all the warm, genuine love you hold inside so that it may shine on others and shatter the darkness.”
Nanette Mathews
I am thankful that there are those among us who have sacrificed dearly on behalf of us. And I ardently pray to God that I might be less like myself and more like them.
Craig D. Lounsbrough