Don't let the turkeys get you down.

Lesley's Blog

It's New Year's Eve and I will be cooking a turkey today. Eric and I were out of town for Christmas so I will enjoy preparing that delicious food and snuggling on the sofa with Eric and the dogs, watching Thunder basketball this evening.

This year maybe we can all follow the title of this blog and "Don't let the turkeys get you down." Even though there are many people and experiences that come into our lives that can be classified as those "turkeys" we do have a choice how to respond. We can be overwhelmed, irritated, angry etc. or recognize that most things are not life threatening and, in the big picture of life, not that consequential. It is also helpful to remember that most of us can be "turkeys" at times and if we do not want to be judged, it is advisable not to judge.

(I don't have a photograph of an actual turkey but this is one of the "turkey ducks" that roam around our neighborhood, driving our dogs to frantic barking.)

 

But back to the actual bird. For native peoples the turkey is sometimes thought of as the "Earth Eagle" and so is associated with the spiritual concept of the Earth as our Mother, bringing to us the blessings of abundance and fertility in all ways. These beautiful birds invite us to give thanks for our blessings and to share those blessings with others.





(Another pseudo turkey picture, this time of turkey vultures roosting for the night. A symbol of sharing space and blessings.)

 

The planet Earth blesses us everyday with great and wondrous abundance and yet many of us take those blessings for granted. We as a nation, myself included, do harmful things to the environment everyday and waste resources in small and large ways. Native peoples honored the turkey, as they did the buffalo and all other blessings of the Earth. When they killed, which was just for food, they gave thanks to the animals and plants and made sure nothing was wasted. They made whistles from the bones of the turkey, beautiful decorations from the feathers and used all the meat in their food preparations. 

In this country, it can seem a losing battle, trying to have any impact on improving the environment and yet, as with everything, every little counts. To keep our own bodies strong and healthy we have to honor and care for them, seeing ourselves as spiritual beings with an obligation to care for ourselves and others. In the same way we might see the Body of our Mother the Earth as sacred and our duty being to take care of her.

So, maybe this year, one of our resolutions can be to do a little more to care for and love out spectacular planet.