Remembering Thanksgivings past

Thanksgiving has already begun. I just got a call from my daughter asking how long to bake the turkey. This is ironic because she has hosted Thanksgiving dinner before and her turkeys turn out better than mine ever have. Plus she is a better cook than I. Yet, she still needs reassurance from her mother when preparing something she only fixes once a year. I am thankful that she still needs me.
We don’t seem to celebrate holidays at our house much any more. Our families have spread out and have created their own traditions. Some of the ones who used to keep the holidays alive have passed on and we miss them.
When I was little, all the uncles, aunts and cousins would come to our pink house with the silver metal roof. There was always a kids’ table where we could pick and choose which foods to eat. After the meal we would be shooed outside while the adults talked. There weren’t any toys to play with but since we had an entire farm at our disposal, we didn’t need toys.
After a while, the family fell apart as people started dying. There was no longer a need for a kids’ table. If any of the cousins came we still went outside to amuse ourselves while the adults talked. We were as likely to settle into the haymow to chat amongst ourselves as we were to hike down to the creek or to mess with the few animals that remained in the pasture.
We grew up, had families of our own and began the juggling act of visiting both sets of in-laws on the same day. We had ham at one house and turkey at another. The end of the day found us stuffed with both food and family.
Now, we have only one set of in-laws and even that is not a full set. Some of us still visit the spouse’s family but my own family seldom gathers together. It has become too much trouble to fix a big meal for only a few people so we are as likely to skip the whole ordeal as not. It has become just another day in a series of days.
Yet, there is something that causes me to pause and be thankful for everything I have been given. I have been so blessed in this life. I live in a house that keeps me warm, and safe and dry even if it wasn’t all that dry during this year’s flood. I have family who loves me and who still calls for cooking advice.
I have grandchildren who are the love of our lives. I live in a time when pictures of family are as close as my computer. I can hear their voices by simply picking up a telephone. I have a wonderful husband who puts up with me. My mother is still alive and thanks to a doctor who finally listened to her, she is not in as much pain as before.
I am still healthy and am becoming more and more aware of how much of a blessing that really is. A friend recently had a heart attack. When my grandfather had his first heart attack many years ago, he was sent home to die, which he obligingly did four years and several more heart attacks later. Thanks to advances in medicine, I have faith that my friend will not only survive, he will have countless more years to enjoy life.
There are so many more things to be thankful for that I could fill this entire newspaper with examples. Taking time to recognize and be grateful for our many blessings is a perfect way to begin the holiday season.[[In-content Ad]]