"Give us a thankful sense of the Blessings in which we live, of the many comforts of our lot..."
November 25, 2015
Dear Jane,
Is it truly possible that we are exactly one month from Christmas? Where has the time gone? I feel as though it were only yesterday when I was writing to you about my car brakes ceasing to work whilst I was driving on the highway this past August! I dare say time has undoubtedly sped up without our knowledge.
You will be glad to know, Jane, that I have been constantly reading as of late (not that this is news per say as I can often be found reading). In truth, I do not feel complete if I do not have a book by my side. My latest reading material will be quite familiar to you as it is a collection of your lesser known and unfinished works, specifically: Lady Susan, The Watsons and Sanditon. So far, I have completed the first two and thoroughly enjoyed them, although I wish most ardently that you had finished The Watsons as it is such a charming story and was sure to be beloved by all. I confess that I was astonished to read the villainous and scandalous letters of Lady Susan, but I found them incredibly diverting to read! I have not read enough to give a full opinion on Sanditon, but I am quite enjoying what I have read thus far.
I write this letter one day before Thanksgiving (a holiday that you would not have been aware of Jane, but if I am not mistaken, I gave you a rather long history of it in a past letter) and I am more ready than ever to be at home with my beloved family. In addition to spending time with friends and family, however, I will also be eating vast amounts of delicious foods. If my sister, Rachael were writing, she would most likely say something like this:"I'll be eating all the foods." Did you know that if Mr. Benjamin Frankin had, had his way, the turkey would have been America's national bird? Could you imagine killing thousands of our national bird every single year for the main course of this festive holiday meal? Thank goodness Mr. Franklin did not, in fact, get his way.
Now, even though you did not celebrate this particular holiday, I am sure that you felt it's sentiments all the same. The following is a short passage from a beautiful prayer that you once wrote and it perfectly puts into words how best to be thankful, especially in a world where there is all too often fear and sorrow plaguing one's mind.
"Give us a thankful sense of the Blessings in which we live, of the many comforts of our lot; that we may not deserve to lose them by Discontent or Indifference.
Be gracious to our Necessities, and guard us, and all we love, from Evil this night. May the sick and afflicted, be now, and ever thy care; and heartily do we pray for the safety of all that travel by Land or by Sea, for the comfort & protection of the Orphan and Widow and that thy pity may be shewn upon all Captives and Prisoners."
Before I conclude this letter, I must confess that November has been a very melancholy month for my dear family. I am saddened to tell you that my grandmother, Virginia, passed away on November 15, 2015. It is a loss we all feel in the depths of our hearts as she was truly one of the most wonderful ladies I have ever known. She cared deeply for her family and was always there with a loving smile and the warmest of hugs. Both the day she passed and the day of her funeral were the most beautiful fall days, and we were able to celebrate her life with the comfort of sunshine smiling on our faces. As you know, I have taken to writing poems in my spare time and this is one that I wrote for her around the time of her passing.
Dear Jane,
Is it truly possible that we are exactly one month from Christmas? Where has the time gone? I feel as though it were only yesterday when I was writing to you about my car brakes ceasing to work whilst I was driving on the highway this past August! I dare say time has undoubtedly sped up without our knowledge.
You will be glad to know, Jane, that I have been constantly reading as of late (not that this is news per say as I can often be found reading). In truth, I do not feel complete if I do not have a book by my side. My latest reading material will be quite familiar to you as it is a collection of your lesser known and unfinished works, specifically: Lady Susan, The Watsons and Sanditon. So far, I have completed the first two and thoroughly enjoyed them, although I wish most ardently that you had finished The Watsons as it is such a charming story and was sure to be beloved by all. I confess that I was astonished to read the villainous and scandalous letters of Lady Susan, but I found them incredibly diverting to read! I have not read enough to give a full opinion on Sanditon, but I am quite enjoying what I have read thus far.
I write this letter one day before Thanksgiving (a holiday that you would not have been aware of Jane, but if I am not mistaken, I gave you a rather long history of it in a past letter) and I am more ready than ever to be at home with my beloved family. In addition to spending time with friends and family, however, I will also be eating vast amounts of delicious foods. If my sister, Rachael were writing, she would most likely say something like this:"I'll be eating all the foods." Did you know that if Mr. Benjamin Frankin had, had his way, the turkey would have been America's national bird? Could you imagine killing thousands of our national bird every single year for the main course of this festive holiday meal? Thank goodness Mr. Franklin did not, in fact, get his way.
Now, even though you did not celebrate this particular holiday, I am sure that you felt it's sentiments all the same. The following is a short passage from a beautiful prayer that you once wrote and it perfectly puts into words how best to be thankful, especially in a world where there is all too often fear and sorrow plaguing one's mind.
"Give us a thankful sense of the Blessings in which we live, of the many comforts of our lot; that we may not deserve to lose them by Discontent or Indifference.
Be gracious to our Necessities, and guard us, and all we love, from Evil this night. May the sick and afflicted, be now, and ever thy care; and heartily do we pray for the safety of all that travel by Land or by Sea, for the comfort & protection of the Orphan and Widow and that thy pity may be shewn upon all Captives and Prisoners."
Before I conclude this letter, I must confess that November has been a very melancholy month for my dear family. I am saddened to tell you that my grandmother, Virginia, passed away on November 15, 2015. It is a loss we all feel in the depths of our hearts as she was truly one of the most wonderful ladies I have ever known. She cared deeply for her family and was always there with a loving smile and the warmest of hugs. Both the day she passed and the day of her funeral were the most beautiful fall days, and we were able to celebrate her life with the comfort of sunshine smiling on our faces. As you know, I have taken to writing poems in my spare time and this is one that I wrote for her around the time of her passing.
Virginia
A lady both loving and kind
 |
| Virginia D'Argenio |
Was an angel from heaven
The most precious find.
Always so happy
Yet also so wise
"Just cut out the sugar"
She'd say with twinkling eyes.
Always telling stories
Of her younger days
And how she won the contest
At Liberty lace.
So beautiful of face
But more beautiful of heart
No wonder grandpa fell for her
Right from the start.
How lucky are we
To have had her all these years
I'm eternally grateful
So we'll smile through tears
We'll remember her smile
Her joy and her love
And know that she'll always
look down on us from above.
As Thanksgiving approaches, I will be remembering her warmth and her spirit and feeling ever so thankful that we had the honor of having her in our lives for so long.
With that, I bid you adieu until our next correspondence. Happy Thanksgiving to you and all my gentle readers; I pray you all have a safe and happy holiday!
Yours Faithfully,
Amanda
Happy Thanksgiving to the Forker family - I am proud to know you. xoxo
ReplyDeleteAnd we are proud to know the Fountain Family!! Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, Rick!
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