I have always loved Thanksgiving. As a child, my excitement for the holiday began each year with the first sign of fall. The cause of my excitement was our annual extended family gathering. My mother’s entire family (her parents, her three siblings and their children) gathered at one person’s home from Wednesday night until Sunday morning. This was the only time of year I saw some of my mom’s family and I loved every minute of it. Friday or Saturday night, us kids, usually performed a talent show comprised of skits, the musical instruments we were studying at the time, a song or two, puppet shows or anything else we could come up with on the spot. As you can imagine, we were very entertaining. Our parents and grand parents were very patient to sit through it all.
Thanksgiving continues to be a favorite holiday of mine for the same reason—family coming together. Now that I am older, I am realizing the effort that goes into entertaining 16 people in your home for a weekend. It is a lot of work. Seventeen of us sat around the table this year to give thanks and share a delicious homemade meal that everyone helped prepare. From peeling potatoes to caramelizing onions and baking pies it was a team effort this year. A tradition I hope to carry on for years to come.
These are some of the hands that helped prepare this ceremonial meal, that means so much.
Thanks to the host and hostess for welcoming us into your home. Thanks to all for pitching in and making it happen. I am already looking forward to next year.