Blessed Be the Turkeys

The sun rose slowly over the frost-dappled hills, casting a golden glow on the world below. The day after Thanksgiving always carried a special kind of magic in this small town—a time of quiet reflection after the clatter of dishes and the laughter of family.

At the edge of the woods, a group of wild turkeys strutted confidently across the meadow, their feathers iridescent in the early light. Among them was a plucky young turkey named Tildy, who had a story to share.

It all began the week before Thanksgiving. Farmer Joe, known for his kind heart and bountiful garden, had been preparing his annual feast. Every year, he invited not just family and friends, but neighbors and townsfolk to come and share in the abundance of his harvest.

Farmer Joe didn’t raise a lot of animals; he was more into the fruits and vegetables he produced at his farm. But he knew of a flock of wild turkeys that lived in the woods around his fields and every year he would ask Spirit to send just the right bird to him so he could honor the flock without a hunt and still provide for his guests, a most beautiful roasted bird.

He had fed the flock often, tossing feed about when he was tractoring the fields. It was his way of honoring the great giveaway one of this flock would offer for his family’s celebrations.

As happened every year, one big bird would show up just when Farmer Joe was ready to hunt. There was never a “scary” chase or wild crazy hunt. Dignity and gratitude always accompanied Farmer Joe’s process and the bird and its giveaway always honored in the taking.

This year, Tildy snuck up to the window, curious what “Thanksgiving” meant for this family. She was drawn by the smell of roasting vegetables and fresh-baked pies. Peeking in the window, she saw Farmer Joe standing at the head of the table.

He raised a glass as he announced, “I’ve decided to honor all of creation, including the turkeys this year. It’s time to show our gratitude for the plants and animals that have gifted themselves up for our celebration. We honor them and their work on this earth and offer them our blessings and thanks as we join together in celebration of family, friends, community, and this land and all she has to offer us.”

The room erupted into cheers and clinking glasses. The spirit of gratitude filled every heart as the folks gathered around the table, each expressed something they were grateful for that year.

“As you pass by the farm in the coming year,” Joe continued, “please feel free to toss out into the woods, some seeds or corn husks or whatever you think the wild flock would enjoy. If you have nothing else,” he grinned, “you can holler out your window as you drive by, “Thank you Turkeys!”

Let’s honor them all year, make beautiful things with the feathers they gift us and make sure they have plenty so we will again next year.”

Tildy’s heart swelled with pride and relief. “We are honored and blessed,” she whispered to her flock, when she returned as they erupted into a quiet chorus of gobbles, their feathers puffed up with joy.

The day after Thanksgiving, as the humans cleaned up and settled into their leftovers, the turkeys gathered in a circle under a great oak tree. Tildy hopped onto a fallen log, her feathers gleaming in the sunlight.

“My friends,” she began, “yesterday wasn’t just a day of gratitude for the humans—it was a day of blessings for us, too. Farmer Joe and his family spoke of us with kindness and gratitude that I didn’t expect, and for that, I think we should honor them in return.”

The turkeys gobbled their agreement, and Tildy proclaimed, “Let us spread seeds of gratitude throughout this land, just as they spread love and kindness at their table. Blessed be the humans—and blessed be the turkeys.”

And so, with wings flapping and spirits soaring, Tildy and her flock became the unlikely ambassadors of Thanksgiving, leaving trails of wildflowers in their wake as a living reminder of gratitude, hope, and the blessings of a kind heart.

May your blessings be bountiful and may you remember to pass them along or pay them forward as your year unfolds in beauty and abundance.

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