HAPPY THANKSGIVING
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. There’s not a lot of pomp and
ceremony to it. No disappointment in gifts exchanged. We gather with
loved ones. Watch football. And stuff ourselves silly.
It’s also a good day to remember and to reflect.
To begin with, autumn has always been my favorite season. The
incredible red, orange, and sienna foliage. The smell of burnt chestnuts
that can bring me back to a brisk day in Manhattan in a New York minute.
My memories of Thanksgiving Day growing up were of helping my mother
prepare the stuffing, from scratch of course, using day old stale bread.
She’d sew the turkey with thread and then panic when she couldn’t find
the needle (this happened annually). I recall the aroma of roasting
turkey and of thyme filling the room. The television was tuned in to Laurel
and Hardy’s “March of the Wooden Soldiers” which aired every
Thanksgiving. Most of all I recall the intangible feeling of comfort I
felt on that day.
I think most Americans feel that way. And the great thing about this
holiday is that it is so inclusive. Even an immigrant who has resided in
the U.S.
for less than a year is made to feel as though his ancestors met the
Pilgrims at Plymouth Rock. Everyone is welcomed, not only to partake in
the holiday, but to enhance it with his own cultural flavor. A
Vietnamese family might serve lemongrass soup before the turkey is
brought out. A Polish family might offer up kielbasa as an appetizer.
And the variations on stuffing are endless: Middle Easterners adding
dates, Africans adding peanuts, Mexicans adding cilantro, and so on.
As for me, I’ve retained some traditions (I make my stuffing the same
way as my mother did) and have incorporated some new ones as I raised my
own family. These days the television is often tuned to a Twilight Zone
marathon as we prepare for the festivities. My daughter makes a
wonderful cauliflower dish and my son makes delicious home made
cranberry sauce each year. We’ve lost loved ones who used to grace our
table, and we’ve added people to the table as well. I suppose in some
way that’s a metaphor for life.
On this day I try not to look at the negatives but instead to be
appreciative for that which I have to be grateful: My wonderful
children, old, cherished friends who have been so supportive, and new
relationships that continue to grow stronger. I am thankful for my
relatives, including my brother, sisters, nieces, nephews, and cousins
with whom I got together recently to celebrate my brother’s birthday. I
am grateful for memories of a good marriage. I am grateful to have the
opportunity of making an impact on the lives of young people and I am
very grateful to have rediscovered my passion for writing. And by the
way, I’m grateful to those of you who have been faithfully following my
blog and for all your encouraging words.
I hope that everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving and thank you again for joining me along,
Vivian
No comments:
Post a Comment