Haibun: Thanksgiving 2021
This past Thanksgiving was like no other. To set the stage, I have to tell you about three things that are different for our family than almost any other family, making this past Thanksgiving the most memorable I’ve ever had.
First, we live in Sun Valley of Arizona, so doing things outside throughout the winter is always an option. Because of COVID-19 we had Thanksgiving and Christmas outside, making it the most memorable up till this year. Second, my sister and brother-in-law converted a bus into a “skoolie”—or school bus turned into a home—for them and their 13 kids. Before I go to the third thing, let me explain the 13 kids in terms of how little that is compared to the amount of kids in the foster care system that need people like you and me to take them in but we don’t. So considering they had 3 and only took in 10 foster kids they adopted, they really have a small number of kids. The third thing that’s different, is my sister and brother-in-law gave their house over to a group of guys who are being trained as leaders to take over homes in the future, homes for women and men in need of housing, addiction recovery, and other places like that.
So with all this, we took off for our dear Salt River, thinned by drought and lack of snow each year, and spread out our tables. With the prep coming out of their kitchen, a space that had bus seats not long ago, and there the food came together. The magic of vision, the energy of wanting to go and explore, and the hope that we can make experiences instead of buying them had us pointing towards the best Thanksgiving ever. Under the reddish brown cliffs that make us all pause, we ate our traditional turkey and stuffing and veggies. What should have been gave way to a more beautiful experience of what did happen outside, better, and full of life. We smashed the world of what the marketing world had for us and it felt good!
dusk leveled and stark, shadows
fall’s one fleeting spark
