I know that Thanksgiving is not the Rock-star of the holiday season, but it’s still my favorite.
A lot of people in my life assume that it’s because once every six years my birthday falls on a Thanksgiving, and sure that’s part of it. I love a National Holiday that I can so completely make about me; but, that’s not it. In between Halloween and Christmas is little ol’ Thanksgiving. And, I see how it’s becoming less about being Thankful and more about shopping for what we want, the irony isn’t lost on me. However, it is still my favorite.
I think I get that from my mom. See, she loved Thanksgiving. She would make certain staples that we’d only enjoy once a year and even though we had somewhat of a transient guest list, sometimes an aunt or uncle would show up, my grandparents always celebrated with us. My grandfather had his assigned seat, like we all do at church. He was on one end of the table and my dad was on the other. My grandmother always sat at the same spot and my mom and I did too. So much so that, that very first year after my grandfather passed away we had no clue who would sit in that seat. It’s that tradition about Thanksgiving that I love, that I cherish. It’s the more intimate holiday.
I’ll explain. Halloween is all about the public. It’s the one day a year we encourage our children to be beggars and vagrants. We dress up, we party, we beg for candy, we decorate… all of it geared towards the outside, and that’s cool. Christmas, is very similar. We decorate, inside and out, we get together, we exchange gifts… but maybe it’s because I’m Cuban but Christmas was always the dancing-so-much-we’re-sweating holiday… which again is AWESOME. But, Thanksgiving: It’s intimate. Sure we eat and we invite our loved ones but we also tend to only decorate (if we do) inside our homes. We, tend to take a time out before anyone digs in and just express our gratitude. I kind of feel like (and believe me, I know how naive it is) that for 1 day everyone in our country is thanking God for what they have, and that ignites joy in the deep recesses of my cynical heart.
To be clear, I don’t hate any of the holiday’s the entire season from October 1 - January 6 is amazing. Such a very special time of year and if you look at Christmas through the lens of faith then it is the most special and humbling of holidays. However, understanding all of that, we all still have our favorites and mine will forever be Thanksgiving.
I choose to not shop at all during Thanksgiving weekend, unless I have to or it’s part of the routine. I choose to maintain 3 staples from my mother’s Thanksgiving menu. I choose to still say grace before we eat and I still choose to decorate my home, even if we’re eating elsewhere. I still wake up and watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. I still love the smells emanating from the kitchen. I now look forward to having all of my children home (since one has already left the nest) and I now get excited to try something new each Thanksgiving, usually an adult beverage and a new side-dish. I relish the Friday after, because that’s when Christmas begins and I put away Thanksgiving until the following November. These are the traditions of my home: I’ve borrowed what I loved from my childhood, and grafted in the newness and uniqueness of my own family.
Every Thanksgiving, I wish I can be in my mother’s house, watching her cook and listening to the music playing in the background. Hearing my dad complain about how he’s going to be eating turkey for a week, hearing him yell at the TV during various football games, and asking my mother multiple times, “Carmencita, when is dinner going to be ready”. Every Thanksgiving, I miss my grandparents horribly: How I’d stay at the table long after everything was picked up just to hear the stories they would tell.
Oh, Thanksgiving! As it approaches, I’m filled with anticipation, excitement and an overwhelming sense of gratitude.
So… I will leave you all with a challenge: write down 10 things you’re grateful for and then share them with those you love before you dig in to your awesome Thanksgiving meals.
In gratitude, me.