a musical thanksgiving.

"i am so thankful that my family is a musical family." announces my cousin, abby, as we are gathered around in the living room. my brother has brought along his guitar and we begin the evening with singing any and every song that he knows how to play - from tom petty's free falling to the new soundings of coldplay's viva la vida. we are all seated around in what is usually termed the "untouchable room" due to its fancy decorations and perfect furniture. the newly placed piano in the corner gives us new reason to congretate upon its perfectly pressed couches.

my brother, eric, is the centerpiece of this gathering. seated on the sofa with his guitar, the serene look in his eyes as he strums his guitar gives him the look of a classic rock singer "without the angst." across the room from him sits my uncle bob. as eric plays, uncle bob closes his eyes and is suddently taken captive by the music. in his face, you see him float to another place. you see a part of his soul come alive.

come back with me twenty-five or thirty years prior...

the scene looks familiar. gathered in a shabbier looking living room, the crowd - now quite a bit younger - is gathered around the same center-piece. bob strums passionately, songs of rock or folk like "me and julio" or songs he has written. the family sings along. his younger brother, scott, plays the autoharp from his seat on the floor. their nieces (who are a little younger than scott), tami and cheryl, are harmonizing with their uncles from the couch by the window. brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews gather round to join in. this family has been through their share of pains and joys over the past year, which makes the music all the sweeter. this is what thanksgiving is made of. the joyous sounds of a family's celebration of life and love.

fast forward to thanksgiving 2008. the family has changed. some have passed on and new ones have joined. the next generation now gathers around the guitar. bob reaches for the guitar to teach eric to play, "me and julio," and eric seranades us with the song that he has written. abby runs upstairs to print off lyrics for songs like "hey there deliliah" and "knockin' on heaven's door" - with larger print copies for the older folk.

the evening ends with a six-verse chorus of amazing grace. in five or six part harmony. thanksgiving at its finest: our voices joining together in celebration of what we are most thankful for.