Whatever your Thanksgiving looks like, enjoy the company of those you are with
This coming Thursday is Thanksgiving. Many of us will spend the day with loved ones, putting diets on pause to share a big meal and enjoy the company of those we care about. Some will travel while others will play host to those who travel to be with them.
Most families have traditions and rituals they adhere to for holidays and Thanksgiving is no exception. My mother was big on holiday traditions, and she had numerous for turkey day. Mom always like to decorate the house for holidays. Fall gave her ample opportunities. In mid-October she broke out the Halloween decorations. Once Halloween was over, they were replaced with the Thanksgiving decorations. These would then be replaced by the Christmas decorations. They would be the same decorations each year, often placed in the same location. She would add a new one or two each year to replace ones that got broken or worn, but there were some that I remembered for my entire childhood and into adulthood. We would even ask what happened to a particular decoration if we didn’t see it one year.
Most families have traditions about the meal itself. Some families have formal meals where they get dressed up and use the “good” china and silverware. Others have very casual meals. We were somewhere in the middle. Our table would have the Thanksgiving tablecloth and centerpiece. We would usually have Thanksgiving paper napkins and use the good dishes.
It doesn’t really matter what your meal is like. It’s about the company and the camaraderie and being with those you love. I had a great Thanksgiving one year while at college. I wasn’t able to go home that year. A group of us who weren’t going anywhere got together and had a potluck Thanksgiving. We set up buffet style, ate from paper plates, watched football, and had a wonderful time.
Watching football is a big part of Thanksgiving in many households, ours included. One of my favorite Thanksgiving memories came courtesy of Leon Lett of the Dallas Cowboys who single-handedly allowed my Dolphins to beat the Cowboys on Thanksgiving.
Watching the Macys Thanksgiving parade is another activity we often engage in while the meal is being prepared. One year during high school a friend and I decided to go see the parade in person. This was one of those things that you are glad you did once but will never do again. I have similar sentiments about attending the lighting of the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center.
My first trip to Georgia was for Thanksgiving. I was away at college when my parents moved to Atlanta. I and several siblings came to visit for the first time for Thanksgiving. I remember thinking how warm it was. We were throwing the football around with no jackets and short sleeves. You didn’t do that on Thanksgiving in New York.
For some people, ensuring that the less fortunate among us have a good holiday is a tradition. Many people spend part of their day volunteering at events to feed the hungry and homeless. If this appeals to you, I encourage you to volunteer at Love Feast here in Rome.
Whatever your Thanksgiving looks like, enjoy the company of those you are with. Happy Thanksgiving.