Russet, gold, and tangerine leaves blowing off trees in the crisp fall air mark the month of November along with my favorite holiday. Thanksgiving.
Over the years, this holiday, wedged between two other holidays, is skipped in favor of the hustle bustle of the next holiday a month later. I don’t want to talk about that holiday in this post other than to say it means a great deal to our family as the basis of our faith.
Thanksgiving, an American holiday, is my favorite because it’s the least commercialized of the three that hit the end of the year. Well, except for the grocery stores who provide all the wonderful food that grace so many tables. Turkeys, whether frozen or fresh, appear in shopping carts along with stuffing, various types of potatoes and vegetables, not to mention pumpkin for that wonderful pumpkin pie. Family members transform these ingredients into a delightful meal for families.
As I reflect on the reason for Thanksgiving, wonderful memories of Thanksgiving, float through my head. Traditions had been forged over the years. My mom’s elegant table setting where we sat and shared what we were thankful for during the year to playing team board games with laughter and competitiveness after the big dinner. This Thanksgiving lasted for many years while our kids were in High School and College. Then the kids married, had children of their own and moved to other parts of the United States. And while we don’t gather and spend the actual Thanksgiving Day together, we call one another.
After floundering for several years, my husband and I have forged a new tradition of spending our Thanksgiving with our niece’s family because she’s the closest to where we live. It’s a pleasant holiday spent with forty to fifty people, most of them relatives of my niece’s husband. It’s a smorgasbord of southern-style foods. Everyone contributes to the meal, and they set up an impromptu football game. And while it’s a four-hour drive to get there, we always have a good time.
I hope and pray your Thanksgiving is blessed with family and friends like ours. We look forward to this special holiday every year.
