In this week before Thanksgiving in the United States, I sit back
with a cup of caff and get to thinking about all of the things for which
I am grateful. I am married to the love of my life and have three great
kids. My work is amazingly satisfying, and every month I get to share
my thoughts with the Coffee with Kenobi family. It seems to me that
gratitude is the basic function of humanity. We are grateful because,
let’s face it, on our own we are weak and wanting.
But,
in a very real way, our gratitude is centered around food. This is a
good thing, so bear with me. In my life, we celebrate the Fourth of July
with a cookout of tubular meats; in our tradition, Easter is capped off
with a feast in the middle of the night. Thanksgiving is a day centered
around the table that is shared by many of our loved ones (we hope). In
each of these feasts, it is not necessarily about the menu, but the
camaraderie and care that each person has for the other.
The
Skywalker Family is not the typical family, and they have their issues.
Now, real families can also be broken. So, while thinking of
Thanksgiving, I can’t help but turn to Cloud City. I know, right? Of all
the meals depicted in the Star Wars universe, I pick the most
dysfunctional one. Let’s go back a few scenes in the movie first. Luke
is training on Dagobah, eating protein paste and Yoda brand oatmeal in
the mucky swamp. Elsewhere in the galaxy, his sister and other friends
are confronting Vader. At this point, no one is aware of the family
bonds of the Skywalker family. Man, are they messed up. But Leia, Han,
Chewie and the Droids enter the banquet room with the Sith Lord and are
treated to, what must be, the most awkward meal ever shared. Ever.
Through the Force, Luke feels that there is something wrong, and he has
an urge to help his friends out of their danger. This is a negative
example of the Thanksgiving dinner table. In fact, the table is bare,
the protocol droid has gone to pieces and dad’s about to torture his
daughter’s boyfriend. This is not a happy time. But it highlights that
our band of heroes are completely thankful for each other. Sure, Han
gets frozen for a spell, and Luke’s confrontation with Vader doesn’t go
as planned. Chewbacca spends this time carting around spare parts. But
they are willing to give up all things for each other’s welfare. This is
a great example. And an attitude to be thankful for.
To be grateful means to see the inherent value in the other person
simply because they exist. How did Luke and Leia instantly form their
bond? They didn’t know, though they had a feeling that their destinies
were intertwined. Han and Chewie are more than coworkers, but friends
who risk everything for each other. Their gratitude for each other is
overwhelming.
Hanging
in my house over our dining room table is a picture of another meal.
This one is a revered image of the Thanksgiving table. It is called “
Freedom from Want”
and it was painted by Norman Rockwell during World War II. As he said,
“I paint life as I would like it to be.” Seemingly, the focus is on the
roast turkey at the center of the painting. It is an offering, of sorts.
The matriarch is presenting the fruits of her labor. The best that she
has is put on the table. The patriarch is there ready to serve the meal
to his children and grandchildren. Look at the man’s hands. Years of
hard labor, perhaps a stint in combat, disfigured them. The family
gathered around the table are sharing glances with each other. Years of
inside jokes, deep relationships and good times are remembered. Sure,
the meal looks delicious, the turkey is at the center of the painting,
but the love and thankfulness that radiates is the true subject of
Freedom from Want.
Most humbly, down in the near corner is a self-portrait of Rockwell
himself glancing back at the viewer. His eyebrows are raised as if he is
asking a question. He is saying “Do you see the good things offered
here? What is good in your life? What are you thankful for?”
Our
heroes come together in a similar manner after the Battle of Endor. As
fireworks are exploding over Naboo and Coruscant, the Rebels and their
new Ewok brethren are singing Yub Nub while gathered together in
ultimate triumph. They have triumphed over evil and oppression. Freedom
has been restored to the galaxy (or so we think, I may have to edit this
in 13 months). They can answer Rockwell’s question. They are thankful
for each other, and for the passion to restore freedom to all the beings
of the galaxy.
I firmly believe that it is the very nature of human beings to give
thanks. Whether it is for small things, like someone holding a door on
the way into a building; or to our spouses and parents for making us who
we are. To our Creator who loves us – maybe even more than we love our
own selves. In all these things, we must cultivate a life of
thankfulness.
Happy Thanksgiving everybody! As the Big Four (let’s give Chewie his
due) were thankful for each other, so am I thankful for my family, my
faith and my new friends in Star Wars fandom.
What are you thankful for? How do you show it?
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