The Value of a Moment

I know a lot of people have leapfrogged right over Thanksgiving and are decorating for Christmas. I get it. Compared to Thanksgiving, Christmas is like having a more fun and vivacious relative come to visit. It’s more exciting and flashier and there are presents. However, I’m a one holiday at a time kind of girl and Thanksgiving is the next one. Don’t get me wrong. I love Christmas as much as the next person, but Thanksgiving holds a special place in my heart.

When I was growing up, Thanksgiving was about going to Grandma’s house on Thanksgiving Day and seeing all my relatives. It meant helping my mom make family favorites like homemade banana pudding and cheesecake to take to the big family gathering. My aunts and uncles and cousins would be there too and somehow, we all managed to fit inside Grandma’s small farmhouse for a day.

We had (and still have) a lot of good cooks in our family, and I can close my eyes and almost smell the scents of all the delicious holiday dishes coming together at Grandma’s house for Thanksgiving. Of course, there would be a huge turkey browned to perfection with stuffing (or dressing as my mom and grandma called it) mashed potatoes with turkey gravy, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, corn casserole, cranberry sauce, and hot rolls. And then there were the desserts…my mom’s always requested banana pudding and her incredible cheesecake, Grandma’s chocolate pies, pumpkin pie, pecan pie and apple pie. Oh those wonderful pies!

Grandma was the heart of it all. She would be in the kitchen doing the last minute food preparation and when everyone had arrived and all the food was ready, she would say, “Don’t be bashful, grab a plate and get something to eat.”

The best part of Thanksgiving was being able to spend an entire day with our extended family. Football would be on the TV and usually Uncle Kenny would bring his chess board and challenge whoever was brave enough to play him! There might be a Euchre game being played at the kitchen table and a backgammon game somewhere else. There was a happy buzz of conversation and laughter throughout the house. The kids would escape outside after dinner to throw a football while the grownups enjoyed the opportunity to catch up with one another.

At some point, we would draw names for Christmas gift giving. All our names were put in a bowl and there was a drawing for the adults, and another for the children.

I’m so thankful now that I have those times to remember. When they were happening, I had no idea how special those gatherings were. I guess I thought everyone had big, wonderful families who were so happy to see one another on holidays. I didn’t realize that those family traditions and shared experiences were fostering a sense of belonging and creating lasting memories for all of us.

Do we ever realize in the moment how fortunate we are to be a part of something so amazing or does it take hindsight for us to understand how blessed we truly are?

What I would give to be able to go back 40 years and have one more Thanksgiving with all of them.