The holidays, regardless of which holiday it is, takes on a whole different meaning when you become an adult. And I'm going to come right out and say this but more so if you are female than male-because if you are male then it makes no difference from being a kid to an adult! (Just my perspective here!) You see as an adult, and female, you are left with most, if not all, of the work it takes to pull off any holiday-in most cases.
I used to love Easter and the 4th of July. More so the 4th of July because it is basically eating grilled food, no set menu for that holiday and you can eat outside-no formal decorations. You don't have to clean the house within an inch of it's life. No rules to follow. You can go watch a parade or fireworks. Everyone seems to have a variety of holiday traditions when it comes to the 4th of July-anything goes.
Rules and guidelines are a little tighter when it comes to Easter and Thanksgiving. Easter=ham. Thanksgiving=turkey. Yes people play with the rules here but there are more "traditions when it comes to these two holidays as opposed to 4th of July or any of the other "less important" holidays. And Christmas...well we all know that gig. Christmas tradition in some families go a long way back. For some it is a recipe passed down from generation to generation. Then there is the gift giving thing...another traditional rule that we are told or led to believe that we must follow-we've got the whole Santa Clause thing going here.
But honestly right now, this week is my favorite time of year...the week of Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving it's self. I love the prep, to a point. (having very little help makes it stressful, but in the end it is all good as long as I'm not too tired to enjoy it). Then there is the tradition of gathering together for a meal. A traditional meal, but it is still good! And the best part-is everyone who can be there. All the people gathered around the table is wonderful.
The Thanksgiving days of years past is long gone...family members who are no longer with us are missed. My parents used to come over a day or two early to attend grandparent's day at school with my kids when they were in elementary school and then they would be there to help celebrate, and to entertain the kids or set the table or make a dish-I loved every minute of that. I vividly remember having 20 or more people around my table to take part in a Thanksgiving meal...the best of times. Lots of great conversations happened there!
Now the number of people who gather around my table is smaller in number. But regardless of who can or cannot be there it is always wonderful to have all who can be there there! And it is okay to miss those who can not be there. It is part of life. I love the noise and banter that will come with the arrival of everyone starting tonight and reach capacity Wednesday night when all the kids and their significant others will be home. And I can't wait. This is what I've been planning for, thinking about and looking forward to for weeks. It will be a crazy busy time and there will be lots of food made and eaten. There will be fun to be had. But best of all- the memories. The wonderful memories of Thanksgiving 2015 will be tucked in my heart a week from now! No longer is my family that little group of 5 who could not get home back to my hometown back in the early 1990s because of a day-before-Thanksgiving snowstorm that left me at the grocery store buying a last minute turkey and all the fixings the night before Thanksgiving. And on that Thanksgiving day 20-plus years ago the five of us enjoyed our own turkey dinner and what would start to become a tradition-Thanksgiving at our house. Since then for Thanksgiving and any other holiday that included food, family and friends we've opened our home to others. No one should be alone on a holiday. I always like to think that if one of my kids where alone and unable to get home for a holiday someone would open their home and welcome them in for a meal and some "family" time.
So as I start the 47 layer jello salad (it's not really 47 layers but it feels like it, thanks to my mother in-laws recipe!) and make the little smokies wrapped in biscuits (a favorite of my father in-law) and life is discussed-I have a feeling that college graduations, jobs, sports and four up coming weddings will be a constant thread of the conversations, it will be wonderful and I can't wait. The new memories will be great! Because to be honest everyday should be a day of thanksgiving...except we'd all be sick and tired of turkey and weight about 300 lbs!
Oh and while we try to sandwich in a Christmas celebration in this weekend too, and eat more (good, I hope) food and make more fun memories I hope I remember to take pictures, lots of pictures with my camera and not just in my mind!
Positive thought of the day: Thankful for all I am blessed with. And the fact that Mother Nature decided to deliver our first snow of the season LAST Friday and not this week. I'm thankful for the seasons and for the little things in life! I hope you are too!
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