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Chaplain’s Corner: Thanksgiving

By Sarah Sexton | Publish Date November 12, 2024

There is a great deal of revisionist history about who first celebrated Thanksgiving in this country, where and for what reasons. I did major in history in college, but I concentrated in world history, mostly ancient history. I do not intend to make a definitive statement about the origins of our Thanksgiving traditions. Instead, I want to ponder the theological implications of Thanksgiving.

I enjoy the benefits of being an American when it is Thanksgiving season. My extended family gathers at Thanksgiving. I love catching up with cousins and nieces and nephews. I also love the great food. I suppose every family believes theirs is filled with great cooks. Mine certainly is.

More important to me than the food is the sentiment of thanksgiving. When my family gathers, one of the things we often do before eating is to go around the table to say what, in our lives, has happened in the past year for which we are thankful. Of course, that is a good exercise to do anytime, but it is especially meaningful when we are all together to share in our thanksgivings.

The Psalms are a great source of reminders of being thankful.

In Psalm 100, we read, “Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come into his presence with singing.”

Psalm 92 begins, “It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name, O Most High.”

In Psalm 105, “O give thanks to the Lord, call on his name, make known his deeds among the peoples.” And following that, Psalm 106 reads, “Praise the Lord! O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever.”

There are Psalms of lament, but most of those end in praise. To generously paraphrase: Everybody hates me. No one loves me. You, O God, have abandoned me. But look, the sun is rising. I survived the dark night. It’s a new day. You still love me.

In historical monastic life, the sisters and brothers gathered for prayer five times a day. A Psalm was recited at each of those gatherings. You can quickly do the math. Every month the participants completed the book of Psalms (150 Psalms divided by 30 days equals 5). It is easy to see why those ancient monks and sisters had memorized the Psalms, and why they were filled with gratitude.

My experience of Kirkwood is that it is a place of thanksgiving. Some residents may have experienced a quick move to Kirkwood – due to circumstance or incident – rather than the move being on their timing. Even under those circumstances, the new residents discover a caring community where they can be as involved and active as they choose to be. It does not take long for that new resident to express their sense of thankfulness for being at Kirkwood. I hear those residents say, “I didn’t want to come. I put it off as long as I could. Now I wish I had moved sooner.”

Years ago, Viktor Frankl wrote about the critical importance of our attitude, our reasons for living, in his book, Man’s Search for Meaning. He would say that we can choose to be thankful, or we can choose to not be thankful. What he observed was that those who have a reason for living – do. Those who do not have a reason to go on living – stop. I believe the same is true for being thankful. We may claim that we cannot make a joyful noise, but even so, we can live lives filled with thanksgiving.

Peace.

Cary

Tree

The Residents

Our residents come from different backgrounds and bring their unique qualities, talents, and life experiences to complete the Kirkwood community. Here are just a few reflections from some individuals who call Kirkwood their home.

My time at Kirkwood was spectacular; they taught me how to walk again. The staff was outstanding, and the care was beyond reproach. When I arrived, I had a long way to go. I was very sick. The first night, they had to lift me as I could not move by myself. When I left, they were chasing me down the hallway. They taught me how to perform the activities of daily living again. It was the best care I could have prayed for, and on top of that, the food was spectacular.

Eli Gold Past Resident

I fell in love with the cottage and the view from my back porch. I am excited to have a yard for Ginger, my poodle, to play in and my own garage, all within an established retirement community!

Charlotte Hamilton Current Resident

My husband and I looked at a number of places when deciding to move to a retirement community. For the most part, we found communities that said, ‘We’re going to take care of you.’ But Kirkwood was different. It wasn’t just about taking care of us. It was also about having fun, having friends, and living life to the fullest. The attitude at Kirkwood was positive and the atmosphere was comforting. We simply couldn’t resist. Without a doubt, the location was ideal. The Cahaba Room that overlooks the river, the mountains, the trails – there were just so many things about life. The community was lively. It was alive.

Alice Brooks Current Resident

We realized we were approaching an age where we might need more assistance than what just downsizing could provide. Knowing we have my sons nearby and the levels of care should we need it is comforting, and the beautiful hillside, river, and the woods makes it that much more appealing. We don’t know of any other community that has the woods, the various levels of care, and so many different amenities.

Phyllis and John Guschke Current Residents

We were moving my parents down from the Cleveland area to be near us. I looked at almost every retirement place in the Birmingham area. The second I turned into Kirkwood’s drive and drove up the hill, I knew that I’d found the perfect place for my parents to live in Alabama. In the six years that my parents have been at Kirkwood, I have always felt nothing but love and helpfulness from every staff member. Everyone is always helpful with a pleasant attitude. You can truly see and feel the family atmosphere. I’m happy that my parents can call Kirkwood their home.

Brenda Sheehan Kirkwood family member

When we learned that Cedar Ridge was being developed, that seemed to fit our needs very well. It is the ideal place for the next phase of our retirement.

Carol and Arthur Stephens Current Residents

One thing that we feel is very important here at Kirkwood by the River is the relationship that we have between the staff and the residents. They are dedicated to making our life here as safe and secure and pleasurable as possible. That goes a long way.

Fred Rogers Current Resident

The community's cottage living surrounded by a wooded, natural environment with access to future healthcare services is what attracted us to Kirkwood!

Rick and Jane Ricketts Current Residents