Another Thanksgiving has passed. I read or heard someone say their favorite holiday was Thanksgiving because you get the good food and don't have to buy presents.
As I look back at the 73 Thanksgivings of my life, the ones I remember the most were the ones spent at my grandparent's home in Memphis, Texas. Aunts, uncles and cousins joined us. My closest cousin and I got to eat in the kitchen while the grown-ups ate in the dining room. We loved not having to sit at the big table. When our brothers came along, we were relegated to the dining room and they got the kitchen.
As a married person in Tulsa we invited singles who had no family in town to share Thanksgiving with us. Those were fun and fulfilling. But not all my holidays in that town have been memorable. In fact, many have been lonely. When I wasn't married, many were spent alone trying not to look out the window and see the houses with cars parked around them as they spent the day with family and friends. For some reason none of my married friends ever thought to invite me to their feasts.
A few years ago we had 23 people at our house for the day. Some were our family, some friends plus a family who had nowhere to go. That year we had three toddlers that made it necessary to touch up the paint on the walls when it was all over. Last year we had more family plus a granddaughter and our great granddaughter here. Busy but fun.
We had Thanksgiving a couple of weeks ago with a son and his family before they left on a week's vacation to California. Yesterday we planned to spend it alone and were all right with that. Instead we went out to eat with a couple we love very much. Afterwards we went to their house and visited. Really nice. Quiet but good.
We know of two families who had a difficult holiday. In one the wife passed away two months ago. In the other the husband died just a week ago. Our prayers are with them as they go through the next weeks.
Thanksgiving is just that--a time to think of the blessings we have and be thankful. But not just on that day. We're thankful year around that we have friends, family and our God to spend our earthly lives with. Some day that life will be over and the best life will begin for eternity. Now that's the kind of holiday I'm looking for! Just not too soon. :)
Amen! We too had planned to spend a quiet thanksgiving alone, yesterday. Instead, we ate lunch out with close friends. Our situations were similar and it was a wonderful day. Each of our thanksgivings past have been different, but all bring thankful memories. Indeed, we should be thankful each and every day.
ReplyDeleteBlessings, andrea