Grace

I am going to start this post with a lecture, and end it with grace.

My parents had their own upbringing influenced by European immigrant parents and family and passed their very strong ideas about what was "right" and "wrong" to me and my little brother -- very little fell into a gray area. For example, in our house we were never allowed to refer to Thanksgiving as "Turkey Day"; my father felt that the silly holiday nickname -- used affectionately by almost everyone else in the country -- was wrong, diluting the essence of the celebration and it's meaning, emphasizing extravagance instead of a time for reflection and being with people you care about. My father is not a humorless man, and so I have to think about the nuanced and very adult message he sent to me and my brother by setting this rule, and maybe on this one thing I will allow he was exactly right. :)

We didn't pray before a Thanksgiving meal, but just went around the table and said what we were thankful for, like a lot of other families do. I do like the idea of calling that moment "grace," no matter what your views. I define grace as a way to live your life (and SLife) every day, with gratitude for every moment and faith in those you love.

In Second Life, we can all be especially thankful this year that Robin has recently joined us on Saint Clare; Roland continues to teach us how to have fun in unexpected ways; Orson literally shelters us with the strength and vision of his beautiful designs and keeps us all mellow with his easy-going spirit; and Graham touched us with his humor and sweetness. Today, as always, I am thankful we can all move through our real and second lives together with beauty, compassion, kindness, silliness, laughter and music.

I think I can sign this for everyone.

Happy Thanksgiving,

Pris, Orson, Roland, Robin and Graham