Thanksgiving Day, 2010
The turkey’s in the oven. My bare feet
rest on the windowsill. A welcome breeze
wafts past ten gnarled toes, a late fall treat.
The forecast says tonight it’s going to freeze.
A new computer sits with darkened screen,
with bells and whistles I don’t want or need,
while I fire up the five-year-old machine
that suits my comfort zone (except for speed).
Two years ago our son lay gravely ill.
We spent Thanksgiving day in ICU.
They say adversity that doesn’t kill?
you makes you stronger. I can prove it’s true.
My cup’s half full; I haven’t drained it yet.
Mixed blessings are the only kind you get.
—Carol A. Taylor
Image by James Palinsad licensed via Creative Commons. Image cropped.
Dear Reader,
Can I be direct with you?
War abroad. Socialists on the rise. AI upending human life. Endless uproar online. The modern attention economy doesn’t want readers — it wants users enslaved to the tyranny of the present.
First Things is the antidote: literary excellence, timeless truths, and a fixed point of reference in a culture that has lost its bearings.
But we can’t do it without readers like you.
Our goal: Raise $150,000 by November 1 to sustain First Things in the year ahead.
Your gift anchors readers in the permanent things.
Make your Fall Campaign gift now using the button below.
If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Giovanni Del Piero, Director of the Editor’s Circle, at gdelpiero@firstthings.com or 212-627-1985.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
The Politics of Dissidence
In the latest installment of the ongoing interview series with contributing editor Mark Bauerlein, Scott Greer joins…
A Muslim Answer to Muslim Immigration
Modern America worships at the altar of youth and eagerly tracks in polls and market research its…
New Founders Wanted
It’s now 250 years since America declared her independence and embarked on the experiment of fashioning a…
