I
have so much that I’d like to say in one page. Today, we celebrated the Canadian
Thanksgiving, and every year, I am a little more thankful than I was the previous
year. I always feel a little out of place during the Canadian Thanksgiving holiday,
because, as an American ex-patriot, my Thanksgiving occurs on the 3rd
Thursday in November. Whatever day we celebrate, the holiday is meaningful to
me, mostly because it is associated with the gathering of family and friends.
It’s also a day when we are mindful of the blessings in our lives. There has
been a lot of loss in the past week to put those blessings into perspective.
An
old friend, and husband of one of the bridesmaids in our wedding ceremony, passed
away yesterday. His wife, also our dear friend, was preparing their Thanksgiving
feast for a family gathering, which was to include a celebration of her mom’s
92nd birthday. When she went upstairs to awaken her husband, she
discovered that he had died. He’d been suffering for years from a myriad of
illnesses, accompanied by severe and debilitating pain. The night before last, he
had a particularly bad night. In fact, the last few months had involved a
series of trips to the emergency ward as well as several visits to the doctor’s
office. Yesterday, all of that ended abruptly. Our friends had enjoyed a love
affair which lasted about 40 years.
Yom
Kippur, the Jewish high holy day of atonement, was last Wednesday. That is the
day when people of our faith atone and pray to be forgiven for their sins of
the past year. While I don’t consider myself an observant Jew, I customarily fast
as a reminder of my good fortune. I find this a meaningful, if symbolic gesture.
As my time grows shorter, I am more grateful for my life and my good health,
but sometimes I take them for granted. Maybe it all culminated with last night’s
full moon, but this past week has been one of strange energy and misfortune. The
other day, a member of our local community, a business owner, a veteran
firefighter, and respected volunteer for the local fire department, succumbed
to his 2-year fight with ALS.
There
have been plenty of reminders NOT to take blessings for granted. I read a post
from an old friend from Buffalo, N.Y who now lives near Boston, Ma. He remarked
that when he and his wife went to synagogue last week to attend Yom Kippur services,
the doors to their place of worship were locked. Entry was restricted by an
armed security guard. There have been so many violent acts of Antisemitism and islamophobia
in the U.S. lately, that people of all faiths have felt compelled to protect
themselves. The fact that, as a society, we have come to this is tragic and
certainly not what the Founding Fathers of my country had in mind when they
drafted the U.S. Constitution. I think freedom to worship without impunity is a
fundamental right, but here we are, guarding our places of worship. As I’ve
said before, the sociopathic Orange Emperor, our ignorant, foolish, pompous,
and widely despised Commander-In-Tweet, is just a canary in the coal mine. With
hatred spreading like wildfire throughout our world, he and the other myopic,
short-sighted nationalists are the result of the divided electorates they
represent. To a greater or lesser extent, each and every one of us bears
responsibility for the world in which we live.
I
am thankful for the love of my wife, my mother-in-law, my extended family, and
my friends, for the good parents I have had, for the random acts of kindness from
strangers, for my health, for Mother Nature’s multiple personalities, for all
her creations great and small, for my freedom, however threatened it appears to
be, for the beauty that is everywhere to appreciate, when I stop to look. I am
thankful to be a part of a radio station that does so many good things for the
community in which it broadcasts. In short, I am thankful for my life, and I am
hopeful I can continue to make others’ lives better and easier because of my
good fortune. Finally, I am thankful that I am learning to be more thankful.
Jamie Oppenheimer,
Songwriter, Author, Blogger, Radio Producer, & Host has been writing THE
OPPENHEIMER REPORT every MONDAY since 1992 and has published the articles on
his blog since 2006. We are including Jamie's weekly reports, as a feature
of #HuntersBayRadio, The Bay 88.7FM.
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