This Thanksgiving, turn down the noise.
Take time to abide and celebrate, and not be beholden to what we are routinely conditioned to do, writes our Publisher.
Mike De Robbio is the Founder and Publisher of Central Jersey Newswire.
Life is noisy.
Political gridlock, threats of war, global unrest, and whatever the hell they call music lately—all of this is just noise. It’s everywhere: on the way to and from work, at lunch, at night, and definitely on Facebook or X (guilty as charged there).
Like the old Maxell commercial, the volume of the world is on full blast and we just let it blow us back in our chair.
Then we have the silence of our lives: the things that we have to deal with that seem so minimal against the backdrop of national of global goings-on.
Somewhere in the last few years, or even decades, we lost ourselves. The matters of the world became the numbing agent for the unrest in our own lives, only paying attention to those when its convenient.
I have the distinct pleasure of having a diverse group of friends and clients, all of whom are living different versions of the human experience. Some have welcomed new life. Others have had to bid farewell. Some have children that are cherishing these first few years, while others lament them growing up all too fast. Some, like me, spend the morning graveside, grateful for God’s providence that we of faith—often times so little—will one day see our loved ones again, then shuttling off to see and celebrate those who remain with us.
St. Matthew’s gospel tells us that paradise itself is a feast akin to a wedding banquet (Mt. 22:2). Indeed, the presence of God is marked by feasts: Passover, First Fruits, the Wedding at Cana, the Last Supper. That goes for any religion—the abundance of food and family shows the presence of God.
Personally, I think that’s what we’ve strayed from: God. I’ll spare you the hot topics. Those can be debated another day. I’m talking about the general humanity we all share: that all of us are created in the image of God; that our families, through whatever type of divine matchmaking, are ours for a reason—not just randomly sorted out name tags in some ethereal fishbowl and now, all of a sudden, you have Uncle Dave.
If you stuck with me this far, I’m willing to be your mind is quiet. You’re thinking about dinner later, excited to see family and partake in what traditions you hold dear.
Hold on to this feeling.
As for me, I’ll get to see my Dad graveside this beautiful morning to reflect on the love he had for those his family, friends, and for Thanksgiving. (The man made one hell of a Turkey). I’m excited to see my Mother who is visiting from South Carolina. Seeing her has been the excitement that has kept me going recently. She brought her canine companion, a miniature goldendoodle named Scout, who my recently adopted pal, Pirate, will meet tomorrow. Whether it results in cuteness or chaos, I’m just grateful to spend time with her.
My Aunt and Uncle are hosting us in their quiet, scenic suburb of Lambertville. My Uncle recently became a Buddhist preacher which I’m fascinated to hear about. My cousin, whose photography has been featured by The Washington Post throughout the last year, will not be home for the holiday, but I’m still excited to hear about how his photojournalism career is growing. My sister is in Los Angeles where she has become a media titan through grit and effort that none of us would have thought she had. Im exceptionally proud of her, and look forward to FaceTiming her today too.
Last night I spent time with two of my best friends and my two year old goddaughter, and later this week I’ll see more friends and my cousins for some post-holiday traditions.
I share this in hopes that you also take a moment to see and celebrate the people in your lives. They make it all worth it. Whether their presence is daily, touch-and-go, or distant, we have an entire day dedicated to abiding with and celebrating those we love who God has given to us.
This Thanksgiving, enjoy the silence of life and those in it.
Ignore the politics of the world and trying to figure out the societal ills that beset us. When I take the time to celebrate and abide with those I love, the noise of the world gets quieter and the presence of God becomes clearer. I need to do more of this, and I’m willing to bet you do too.
Life is too short to become deaf to the things that matter most: faith, family, friends, and the love that binds us all together.
I’m grateful for the many special people in my life, for the CJN team, and for you, dear reader. I hope you can turn down the noise and celebrate with your family today.
On behalf of myself and CJN, I wish you and your family a happy and safe Thanksgiving.
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