On this Thanksgiving Eve I am feeling a bit nostalgic, perhaps, feeling a tug on the old heartstrings as I am missing Mom and Dad, Nana (both of them) and Papap (both of them as well), and countless aunts, uncles, and cousins who would converge on a certain house on Chestnut Street for the annual turkey dinner.
It all seemed so simple back then. The kids played, the men discussed, and the women cooked. Then we would all sit down at our tables (remember the "kids' table"?) and eat our fill until our overstuffed tummies could absorb not one more morsel.
Then came dessert. Pumpkin, apple, and blueberry pies, brownies, chocolate candies, eggnog, soda, chocolate milk ...
I remember it as a time when everyone rejoiced just because we were together. We paused from the hustle and bustle of life to offer our gratitude to God for everything in our lives, great and small.
When I think back on all the holidays in all the years of my life, I have a particular soft spot for Thanksgiving. You see, of all the holidays worthy of celebration, there is only one that, as yet, has not been commercialized to the point of ruin. Thanksgiving is still about being thankful. It is still about being with family and showing genuine gratitude for the things we have and the people with whom we share our lives.
It isn't about giving and receiving presents, or staying up late to drink, or loud, colorful rocket thingies (Oooo! Ahhhh!). It isn't about making reservations and spending a tremendous wad of cash (or credit) that we don't have and can't easily pay for.
It's about giving thanks. Period. That why it's my favorite.
Oh, yeah, and the food is usually pretty good, too.
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!
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