Thanksgiving, family visits, feasting and expressions of love and gratitude are imminent, the house must be cleaned – and our great nation is in turmoil.
I watched certain proceedings on the television this past week, and listened carefully for truth and clarity.
Whenever the talking points became unbearable to my inner sense of truth and clarity, I pressed the mute button and got up to vacuum the basement, and bravely brandish the feather duster in the cobwebby corners.
When there was a break during the hearings I went upstairs to clean our bedroom thoroughly. Today the bedroom, tomorrow the guest room, I thought to myself, planning my strategy for the week as I crawled around on the floor with a mop rag and a small vacuum cleaner. I left no dust bunny at rest, no corner un-mopped. I opened the outer door to let the fresh air in. I sorted some incredibly dusty books and journals. I reached high with the broom to get at the stringy cobwebs near the ceiling.
I turned back to the hearings in the afternoon to keep listening carefully for truth and clarity.
I did hear some; yes, I did.
But I am unhappy about the turmoil, as are we all.
I can only do what I can do, however; and moving into the holidays it’s all about the family, and ongoing musical outreach into the community.
There will be more housecleaning today, and some feast planning as I drive over the mountain into town to visit all of my favorite local stores, and pick up all of the necessary favorite food items that will help with the preparations for the coming week.
Over the next few days and weeks, I will do my best to help bring music to a little youth circus show, a church service, two contra dances, two parties, a lantern walk and a Nativity play.
I will welcome my children, grandchildren and extended family with open arms and heartfelt attention next week and next month for our celebrated family rituals, gift giving, feasting, walks up around the farm, and good conversation.
I always think that if we take care of our family, tend to the little bit of land around us, and put positive energy into our community, it will help the bigger picture of our nation and the world; that truth and clarity will spread outward in ever widening circles until it reaches even the convoluted, complex layers of our government. But this is not necessarily the case.
I just checked the corners of the living room.
There’s still a lot of housecleaning left to do.