The Tiny Refrigerator

Every Thanksgiving, we brine our turkey before cooking it. Soaking the bird for hours in a bath of salt water, brown sugar and spices not only infuses flavor to the turkey, it tenderizes the meat. Last night I had prepared the brine and was ready to put the large pot containing the bird and brine into the refrigerator. My youngest daughter, who loves cooking for Thanksgiving, and her British boyfriend were both helping.
Image by John Ong via Flickr


This year we purchased a new refrigerator, a slightly smaller one. As I stood with the door open contemplating where this large stewpot was going to fit, my daughter's boyfriend  (and our friend, too) commented on how big the refrigerators in America are compared to those in England. When I asked him what they did with all "their stuff", he replied succinctly, "We eat less."

I immediately thought of all the things that Americans --and people of all nations, actually-- take for granted. We have been blessed with so much and we are thankful for so very little.

Today as we are surrounded by those we love and the bounty of our tables, let us take a few minutes to think on all the "good and perfect gifts" that we have received, beginning with our very breath. Then let us thank the "Father of lights" from which all things come.