TAKE OFF YOUR DINNER JACKET!

"A modest wish: that our doings and dealings may be of a little more significance to life than a man's dinner jacket is to his digestion. Yet not a little of what we describe as our achievement is, in fact, no more than a garment in which, on festive occasions, we seek to hide our nakedness."

Dag Hammarskjöld in Markings (p.41)

Hammarskjöld's simple eloquence reminds us to consciously wrap ourselves in the garments that truly keep us warm. Almost all of the leaves have floated onto the hardened earth. Our clocks now invite the dark to creep in far too early. The crisp winds will soon bring tears to our frozen faces. We need to stay warm, and on this festive occasion, leave your dinner jacket in the closet. Keep warm by surrounding yourself with the people whom you love. Your relationships are your greatest achievements.

As you gather around tables tomorrow, give thanks that the people whom you love are present in your life. Remember the empty chairs at the table and reminisce about the people who once filled them. We are constantly astonished that nature is unaffected by our dreams. We realize this (alas!) when it is too late. Don't let the exquisite gift of today remain wrapped and unopened. Spend your time this weekend with the people you love deeply; tell them how truly blessed you are on their account.

Gratitude requires knowledge of the self. We cannot be thankful for our blessings if the dinner jackets that hide our nakedness obscure precisely what matters most. In the end, that which unifies humanity and transcends history is the fact that what always matters most is the same: the privilege to love another and be loved in return. If such a person is at your table, kiss him. Hug her. Hold his hand. Touch her cheek. Be really present with him. Tell her how grateful you are for the simple fact that she is in the room. You must.

This is the purpose of Thanksgiving. It is an invitation to be together differently: not through rushed meals; not through glimpses on the way out the door; not in between activities; not through half hearted conversations. Just "be" with them. Be present.

Take off your dinner jacket this weekend....you will never be warmer.

Happy Thanksgiving.