Thanksgiving is next week in the United States, and I’ve been getting prepared.
Mostly, I’ve been working on my heart, which always needs scrutiny in the giving thanks department!
But this fourth Thursday in November holiday is one of my favorites because it’s family reunion time.
I love seeing my relatives.
As a genealogist, spending time hearing my family’s stories is always important.
Really, more important than the food.
But some years, it’s just a challenging trip.
Why go home for Thanksgiving?
I go home for several reasons, which I’ve articulated on this blog site over the years.
Yes, I go home for Thanksgiving to see everyone.
I want to see people who have known me my whole life. I know they love me. (Even if they disagree with me on a variety of subjects!)
I love to hear them telling stories around me and sigh with contentment.
On Thanksgiving day, they’re my past, my present, and part of who I’ll always be.
I love them. I miss them. We all celebrate when we’re together.
No matter how long it’s been.
What if you’re not invited?
It doesn’t always mean you’re not welcome if you’re not invited.
With family, well, anyone can show up at my brother’s house for the big meal.
One year, I realized I may not have been invited to dinner (my husband was out to sea, of course), because no one knew I needed an invitation.
No invite? Does anybody know you need one?
That particular year, I voiced my single status (other than the two toddlers) to our pastor.
He announced from the pulpit that a Navy wife needed a place to go for dinner that Thanksgiving.
Several people invited me.
It was wonderful.
Why not set a new tradition?
Then there were the Thanksgivings my husband was NOT out to sea, but we lived too far to go home.
So, we improvised.
No one in my family will ever forget the year we nearly starved over Thanksgiving weekend.
(Okay, it wasn’t that bad, but the kids thought so).
And then discovered every grocery store on the island was closed for the weekend.
The children survived because we attended the Moloka’i Ranch Rodeo!
Adapting for the family
One year, we savored eating Thanksgiving dinner with our vegetarian relatives.
Ah, the food tasted so good and featured such different entrees!
Several years ago, we joined the “big” family and shared family history.
I brought my scanner. My cousins had old family photos I’d never seen before.
One year, we entertained ourselves with an elaborate family tree that filled a wall.
Everyone got a detailed name tag describing how they were related to my grandparents.
The name tags helped some of the older relatives identify which younger children belonged to whom! (And how many “removes” they were!)
What’s the real point of Thanksgiving?
Being thankful.
In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
1 Thessalonians 5:18 NKJV
A meal, a time, with family and friends gathering together makes being thankful easy.
You’ve got a week. Can you find a way to be thankful–and to provide a reason for someone else to be thankful–by Thanksgiving day?
Tweetables
Four thoughts on Thanksgiving–every year. Click to Tweet
Why not be the reason for someone to be thankful this week? Click to Tweet
There is no place that I will go,
and no-one comes to call.
Without a parade I wouldn’t know
it’s Thanksgiving-time at all.
The fault, I think, is really mine,
I’m down another road;
I have to seek, perchance to find
the sum of all I owe.
I’ve got to try to understand;
there’s scarce room for homely joys.
for I’ve been given red-hot brand
that God alone employs.
So let the holidays begin,
and thanks, but it’s best I don’t come in.