Happy Thanksgiving

An agreeable turkey before T-giving. 5/2017 dwm

Here we are on Thanksgiving Day, a day which almost all agree shouldn't mean reserving our thanks for only one of the 365 days each year.

All of us have things to be thankful for; I recently read a thought that even if our life is rocky we can think of two blessings involving the complaints in our lives.  (Even if that's not true every time, I bet it is most of the time.)

Pass the rolls and pass the gratitude.  When we let others know we appreciate them or share a genuine "thank you" with someone at work or at home, it has the power to change their entire day.  It's even better when the person receiving the message doesn't expect it.

Please is a great word and a close friend of 'thank you.'  When said sincerely it reflects genuine feelings, camaraderie and the joy you have together.  It's good to say please as it levels the field, the person asking doesn't act as if he/she deserves anything, just that they would appreciate it.

You might try your hand writing some Turkey Notes.  It's a tradition in Davenport, Iowa and something I've written about previously.  I think my Dad would have loved turkey notes, had he known about them.

        Turkey fly

       Turkey squawk

       Turkey best watch

       For pesky hawks!

 

Turkeys on the run. 10/12/2014 dwm photo

 

Thanksgiving, to me, is ultimately about thanking God for His abundant blessings.  It is a long list, starting with family, health, vocation, and on down the line.  If someone or something gives you joy, be thankful for that individual or the circumstance that brought that favorite thing into your life.

Holidays are times to commemorate and honor.  More than most holidays, Thanksgiving is about family and friends gathering to celebrate the people; the experiences; and the stuff in their lives.  You can make it your own by following family and cultural traditions or creating your own version of the day and see if it catches on.

A tradition in our home since we've been married includes what's known as "Mossner" salad and scalloped corn as two of the side dishes.  We generally do have a turkey but it could be a turkey breast instead of the whole bird.

Not so much now but Thanksgiving used to mark the coming of the Christmas season with the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade as the first time we would see decorations or the jolly elf ride atop his over-sized sleigh.  These days it seems most stores have Yuletide displays out in time for Halloween and are putting holiday decor on sale in early December.  It'll never happen but I'd like to see the holidays stay in their part of the calendar.

Knives are a big deal in some families at Thanksgiving, or maybe it's just in Thanksgiving movies where the head of the house has the honor or responsibility to carve the turkey.  I can't recall a single time the bird was carved at the table.  My mom wouldn't have let my Dad carve it, that's why she had an electric knife.  She brought out slices of turkey, leaving the old bird in the kitchen.  If I need to prove my manhood by carving a turkey, well... I'll have to spend a lot of time practicing.

Gravy, when it's properly homemade, is a deliciously decadent part of the holiday.  Generously poured into mounds of mashed potatoes like lava, it's tasty and satisfying in ways most foods come up short.  Yum.

I usually don't like gravy on the other food on my plate but I'm good with it giving turkey extra flavor.

Vegetables and fruits of the field are part of the cornucopia that symbolize this special day and recognize the legions of women and men responsible for raising and caring for the ground the bountiful yield is harvested from.  We need food for fuel but it is also the center of friendship, community, and family; there are many reasons to give thanks for the food on our plate.

 

I'm thankful for my family - for my wife; two sons; a daughter-in-law; and a sister plus her family.  There are aunts and cousins; a lot of friends and acquaintances; a job I enjoy; and health to enjoy all of it.  I'm thankful for the most outrageous blessing of all, salvation through my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

 

Now is a great time to count your blessings, look around the table, look into your heart.  Give thanks.

Get moving, take a walk, start a family chat or get out a board game and recount traditions and memorable Thanksgiving Days in your family.  If you don't move, that allows tryptophan to overwhelm your body and bring on a Thanksgiving snooze, which is a good tradition in its own right.  It might be a tradition I need to start.

Unsplash image by Priscilla Du Preez