“Thank God for dirty dishes, they have a tale to tell,
While other folks go hungry, we’re eating pretty well.
With home, and health, and happiness,
We shouldn’t want to fuss,
For by this stack of evidence, God’s very good to us.” – unknown
“To have joy one must share it.” – Lord Byron
“She handed him the list with instructions about what to buy
As he stood in the store staring at the list looking for the items he looked at the prices and asked himself… why?
I could get this for that and that for this
And soon what was in his cart was not anything like what was on his list.
Sometimes less is more he thought,
No one will notice the least expensive turkey is the one that I bought.
He called his wife and began to complain,
“Your list is ridiculous, this foods way too expensive, this just isn’t sane.”
He crumpled up the list and stuffed it away,
Not thinking twice about the meaning of today.
So he only got what he thought they would need and soon he justified his actions,
This is food, he began to explain, it will feed.
Just as he was hanging up the phone,
He saw a young mother with a family of her own.
Although they only had a few things to their name,
You could tell by the smiles on their faces that they loved each other just the same.
He couldn’t help but notice that their cart was rather bare,
With only a can of corn, a box of instant potatoes and no turkey found anywhere in there.
As Edward gazed from a distance, frozen to his spot,
It was at that moment that Edward really learned a lot.
He pulled out the crumpled list that his wife had given him before.
And began to scurry around, going up each and every isle in the store.
What once would have barely fed four, now could feed that and so much more.
Edward walked up to the family and said with a grin,
‘You have inspired me and taught me the true meaning of Thanksgiving again.’
He asked them to come with him and as he rolled his cart up to the cashier
He leaned over the counter and quietly whispered something in her ear.
She began to ring up the groceries one by one,
And by the time the last item crossed the scanner, the damage was done.
But instead of thinking about the money he was about to spend,
Edward quietly gave thanks for being able to do something for someone, who just moments before he wouldn’t have considered a friend.
Edward’s kindness did not end with taking care of the young family’s fare,
He invited them to his family Thanksgiving dinner, to come eat and come share.
Seated around the table about to say grace,
Edward glanced over and saw a small tear fall from the young boy’s face.
‘This is the best Thanksgiving that we’ve ever had,
Life hasn’t been easy since we lost our dear dad.’
The young mother swiftly bowed her head to the ground
And began to pray quietly for the grace that she had warmly found.
‘Oh Father, what a blessing,
To be able to stuff ourselves with such delicatessens like turkey and dressing,
To sit around a table with family and friends,
Laughing and talking, carrying on like the night has no end.
It is times like these we must not forget that others aren’t as lucky as we,
With heads bowed we ask you to watch over and protect thee.
Let us be grateful for all that we were given,
But most importantly that you died on the cross so that we could keep on livin’.
Although we may never dine this well again,
My children and I will always be grateful for Edward, our wonderful new friend.
May we be thankful for all that we have each and every day
May you continue to remind us that your love comes in the small blessings you send our way.’
They said their amens, the turkey was carved and served onto their plates,
And for this young family who was expecting nothing more than canned corn and instant ‘tates,
They too understood the true meaning of giving thanks.
This Thanksgiving meant so much to them and it would go down forever as one of the best days in their memory banks.
Let us learn from Edward this holiday season
That holidays come about for a very special reason.
It is not about how much you have to spend,
No, holidays are about spending precious time with your loved ones, your family and friends.
It is not about the presents or the feast
But about our loved ones, the people that matter the most, but cost the very least.”
-- ACB
“Edward’s Thanksgiving Treat”
“For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat;
I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink;
I was a stranger and you invited me in.” – Matthew 25:35
“Gratitude… can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. It turns problems into gifts, failures into successes, the unexpected into perfect timing, and mistakes into important events.” – Melody Beattie
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