Thanksgiving is just around the corner, yikes! Where has the time gone?
Thanksgiving, for me anyway, is a mix of reflection and excitement. Reflection of the past and excitement for the present. As time goes on, life tends to move forward and faster each year. It’s true that time waits for no one.
The bottom line is things change. Kids grow up and have families and obligations of their own. Families live further apart than ever before, and getting together is just not always feasible. It can be easy to find yourself longing for the traditions of the past.
For many years, I too existed in a “longing for the good ‘ol days mindset." Although this may not work for everyone, I now choose to pull from my memory bank of happy reserves. Fond memories can be found, but sometimes you do have to do a little searching.
I think back to my childhood. We always spent Thanksgiving at my grandmother’s house. My parents, brother, sister, and I would squeeze into our 1966 Plymouth, two-door convertible, and make the trek down Division Street (Now the Lloyd Expressway) to the west side.
I can still feel the anticipation of pulling up to Grandma’s house. Both outside doors were open, and you could smell the aroma of turkey and fix-in’s a block away. We could barely fit everyone in that little kitchen, but we managed. Truth is, we didn’t think a thing about it; there was always room for one more.
Grandma taught me how to prepare the turkey, and everything else. Little did I know she was passing on her legacy to me. Eventually, I would be the one to prepare most of the feast. Year after year, I tried to emulate traditions, but failed miserably. I guess you could say I mimicked tradition but could never duplicate it.
My mind quickly jumps to memories of Thanksgiving with my own little family. We now traveled to my mom’s. I guess you could say I became the first Door Dash. I would make most of the dinner and pack it all in the car. What I remember most is all the laughter and antics and yes, sharing memories.
Several years passed. It was time to pass on the turkey prep tradition to my daughter. As I was trying to show her how to clean and prepare the turkey, she became all pale and looked like she was going to be sick. She’s vegetarian so I should’ve known this was just not going to be her forte. For those of you that know my daughter, she is quite outspoken. (I have no idea where she gets it?) Her words made it abundantly clear, “Mom, I hate to break it to you, the legacy is gone. This fixing the turkey thing ends with you.”
What I’ve come to realize is that long held traditions don’t disappear, they simply evolve. So, while I never want to forget the memories of Thanksgiving’s past, I also do not want to dwell so much on them that I fail to replenish my memory reserves with Thanksgiving present. Now, as for Thanksgiving future….well, that will take care of itself.
So, cheers! Here's to new traditions and memory making. Happy Thanksgiving!
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