A lot changes over the years, and holidays are no exception.
I remember the first Thanksgiving we had “alone”, just my husband, the kids and myself. People had moved away, some of the family stopped speaking, life got busy, and although all my life, Thanksgiving had meant a huge gathering with all of the aunts, cousins, parents and grandparents, this year was to be different. I was a little sad, and it felt a little lonely.
Not sure what to do, I started with the turkey, now I have always cooked for my own little family but had never made a turkey before. I gave it my best try, seasoned it with whatever herbs and seasonings I had on hand, stuffed the cavity with veggies as I had seen done and read the instructions on how long to cook it and at what temperature, tossed it in and prayed for the best.
Then looked at the kids, still in pjs, and turned on the Macy’s Thanksgiving day parade and sat and watched with them. Throughout the day I noticed the sense of relaxation , turkey was done whenever it was done, we ate whenever we ate, and began to enjoy the low key relaxed tone of the day. Don’t worry, the chaos was still there too, as with every family holiday, at least in our family, someone bickered with someone else, I may or may not have threatened to send my kids to the moon, there may have definitely been some yelling,but by the time dinner hit the table, and it was time for our “ quit making that face and say cheese” photo, we all began to discuss what we were thankful for. I realized just how thankful I was to be spending thanksgiving with just my little family. Over the years my family has gotten bigger( WAY bigger haha), and now when I look around the table is full, there are several conversations going on at once, definitely always some chaos and maybe (ok ,DEFINITELY) some yelling somewhere in there, and no matter what we are thankful for it all. We are reminded just how precious this time is, every year no matter what in good times and bad memories are being made.
This year may be that year for you.Maybe you are having a Thanksgiving at home, instead of the large celebration with family you are used to. Maybe your displaced this year, or experiencing another type of loss and just trying to hold it together. Go ALL out anyway! Cook the Turkey, make the hor d'oeuvres, blare the parade, set the table pretty, and focus hard on what you have to be thankful for. We all we have something to be thankful for. You see, even if it is just YOU at the table, where ever that table may be, the fact you are sitting there having survived this year nearing its end, is a blessing! If you are eating, there's another blessing, eating with someone? ; there's another! There is always something to be thankful for, even if some years you have to dig a little deeper, think a little harder, to realize what they are! Savour these moments, because years from now, they will be precious memories.
From our family to yours, Happy Thanksgiving!
Favorite Fun Thanksgiving Facts from the Brashear Bunch
Thanksgiving is the reason for TV dinners, in 1953 Swanson had 260 tons of extra turkey that a salesman suggested they package it in trays with other sides
President Obama pardoned a 45 lb turkey named Courage who was flown to Disneyland and served as grand Marshall in the parks Thanksgiving parade
Thanksgiving didn't become a national holiday until 200 years after the first one, and After campaigning for it for 17 years Sarah Hale (who also wrote Mary had a little lamb) convinced President Lincoln to make it a national holiday in 1863
Each year the president pardons a turkey , this started with president Truman in 1947
The song "Jingle Bells" was originally written as a Thanksgiving song
Female turkeys don’t gobble,Only the male turkeys do.
President Jefferson called a federal Thanksgiving proclamation “the most ridiculous idea ever conceived.
Pilgrims did not wear buckled hats or dress only in black and white. Buckles did not come into fashion until later in the 17th century, and the pilgrims usually saved their formal black and white colors for Sunday
If a wild turkey is frightened, it can run up to 20 miles per hour.
Historians believe that there was no turkey served at the first Thanksgiving. Instead, they had duck, geese, venison, oysters, lobster, eel, and fish.
