Thanksgiving

When I was a kid, Thanksgiving was my favorite holiday. I loved everything about it: the turkey, the dressing, the cranberry sauce (!), the sweet potato casserole (my aunt's is the BEST evah!), being out of school for two days, the Macy's parade... all of it.

But what I loved the most was being together with family. Yeah, we had to travel to be with that family, which meant missing about half of the aforementioned parade, but being with kin made me feel like I was part of a rich history, like I belonged to something bigger than me. I loved hearing the often-told and retold favorite family stories about when family members were younger. I loved the corny jokes my uncle Johnny told. I loved being with my cousins and aunts and uncles. I just enjoyed the big family gathering. My sister and I would groan about having to go a-travelin' over the holiday, but I secretly enjoyed the togetherness of it all.

I got married in 1996 and moved away from all of that family. My husband's brother's family goes to be with his wife's relatives on Thanksgiving. His sister and her family go another direction. Sometimes my family comes to see us, but I can't count on that every year.

I miss the big family gathering. The cooking is time consuming, and sometimes I whine about all the preparations, but I love it. I love cooking every last morsel, and I love hosting the dinner at my house. In years past we've gone out to eat at a nice buffet for the holiday, and even though that means I don't have to do anything but show up, it's still not the Thanksgiving I dream of having.

This year I thought I was going to get a big ole family gathering. My sister called to say she wanted to bring her beau, and my parents were going to come, too. I bought the turkey, the sweet potatoes, the pecans, the marshmallows, the stuffing mix, the cranberry sauce, the pumpkin pie fixins, some pie crusts to make apple and pumpkin pies, and all the other little ingredients it takes to whip up a spectacular Thanksgiving feast. I could not wait!

My sister's phone call was on a Tuesday. I went shopping the same day (I was already going anyway...). My sister called the following Friday. She and the beau weren't coming. The parents called the following Monday. They're not coming, either.

Turkey was donated. Everything else is canned or bagged and will keep for awhile.

New Thanksgiving day plan: wake up and watch Macy's parade in our jammies. Everyone makes their own pizza for lunch. Banana splits for dessert. Perhaps a movie in the afternoon.

I'll miss my big family gathering and the turkey and the dressing and the cranberry sauce, but I'll have my kids and my husband to love on during the day.

I'm thankful.