Thanksgiving is an amazing day. Today started with such vision, such a to-do list, so much excitement for the day ahead. This excitement has been building for weeks. I knew that we were going to host Thanksgiving dinner for our family in September and so I knew there were things I wanted to get done before everyone arrived - steam clean the carpet, wash the windows, etc. As November approached, I started getting things done and the lists started getting longer. There were many details to be done, yet there needed to be a great deal of flexibility in the plans as I wanted to make the day special for everyone, no matter what the request.
As planned, people started arriving shortly before 11:00 this morning. The turkey was cooling on the counter, the potatoes were cooked, ready to be mashed, the table set, the cranberry relish made, the butter softening for the rolls, the bar set up, the dressing in the oven. As people arrived, more food dishes arrived and the kitchen got complicated. The potatoes got mashed, the turkey got carved, the gravy got made, the food got put on the table.
As we neared the time when we could dish up our plates, it was time to say our prayer and thank God for our blessings. I had planned this part during my walk this morning, but I was so excited and things had gone so well, that I felt the need to stand in our kitchen, hand in hand with our family, and thank God for his gift of family and our many blessings. The prayer I offered wasn't exquisite, and it wasn't wordy, and I felt like so much more needed to be said, but my husband saved me by saying Amen, and we started to dish up our food.
The food was amazing. There was a more than a family of 10 could eat, but we ate well, and we had a good meal together. We had three kinds of pies for dessert, so after we got done eating, we decided to take a break and have pie later. Everyone helped with the dishes and putting away the food. Eventually, the men broke away and went to Ken's man cave to watch football.
After the dishes were done and put away, the rest of us went to the front room to watch a Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, we had recently gotten a different TV, and the DVD was not set up properly. Even the two technical people in the room decided it would take more time than we wanted to devote to this, so we sat, talked, and munched on snacks. Some break from food eh? Soon enough though, it was time for pie and coffee. It was so good, and we were so stuffed when we were done.
Again, we did dishes and cleaned up the kitchen. My Mom and Step-Dad left, my brother-in-law, niece and nephew watched football in the front room and my sisters and I sat around the kitchen table and watched my older sister learning to knit. Eventually, we had another cocktail (Jamesons from Ireland to remind us of the trip we took together this spring), as we continued to visit.
I'm not sure why all of these details are significant, but they are important to the story. They are what people do when they are close - when they are family. We cook together, we eat together, we do mundane tasks like dishes, we talk about our lives, we practice new talents, we drink and relax together.
When everyone left, it was not yet 6:00 pm. My very full heart was suddenly empty and sad as they drove away. The richness of my blessings had come, visited, shared their time, then had to go on with their lives. I too went back to the everyday activities of my life, throwing a load of laundry into the washing machine, doing another batch of dishes, and pouring myself another cocktail. But it was important to catch the essence of this feeling, to catch the importance of the day, to share the love of my family.
Thanksgiving is an amazing day. I am blessed with family that I love and who want to share their time with me. Thank you to my family for sharing your time, your love, your generosity and yourselves.
