The Blog

November, nestled deep within the Fall season is one of America’s great holidays.

Thanksgiving a time for sweaters, cold nights, great food and family traditions.

This past September I was in Plymouth Ma, yes the famous rock is there presumably exactly where it has always been, but not far away tied up to a pier sits the Mayflower II.

As explained an exact replica of the original Mayflower, built in England in 1955 at the same shipyard as the original hull was furnished some 400 years before.

The Mayflower, with her skipper one Christopher Jones, took 65 days to cross the Atlantic in what had to have been one of the most arduous trips imaginable.

Just over two months too cross the stormy Atlantic Ocean, 335 years later the SS United States would cross the Atlantic in 3 days 12 hours and 12 minutes, Today a typical airliner crosses the Atlantic in 6 hours and the space shuttle would normally take just under 11 minutes to cross that same span in space.

Are we to be thankful that we live in Nation that has accomplished so much in our relatively short history or are we to be thankful for our own accomplishments, our success in life or some other point of the measure of a man?

This morning I visited with an elderly man, 99 years old whose family is far away and who does not get to visit as often as they want too.

The man now frail and diminished was a successful doctor, an ardent tennis player, a stubborn old coot but with a heart of gold.

I did not know this man back in his day, I had never been to his home before and my visit was from a from a request from a fellow congregant, as he seems to perk up when he has visitors and anyone that could spend a few minutes with him once in a while would be very much welcome.

So I went today, he was tired and spoke just a few words, his live in aid was friendly and would sit with him as he liked to hold her hands.

So I am grateful, not for what I have or not, but that someone asked me to visit this man, the few minutes I spent there were a gift to me.

It reminded me that we are here for a very short while, it seems long at times, but the time just leaps past us all.

I have taken many journeys that have lasted days or weeks, I am sure we all have.

Today this quiet journey lasted but a few minutes, but one that may stay with me for some time to come.

Enjoy your Holiday and a Happy Thanksgiving to all of you.

Seth