Thanksgiving, family and gratitude
Hub title: Thankful for family, friends
I don’t begin to recall every Thanksgiving of my childhood, though a few stand out. Since my father was a pastor and we moved every few years, we seldom lived close to family. My folks grew up in Minneapolis, MN. Mom had her stepmother and sister who still lived there. My dad’s youngest brother lived in a Minneapolis suburb. The rest of his siblings moved to the West Coast.
When we lived in Minnesota and Wisconsin, we’d head to Minneapolis over the Thanksgiving weekend to stay with Gramma and Aunt Esther. (During the weekend, we usually also visited dad’s brother and family.) I remember coloring to keep busy. I remember watching Gramma stuffing and tying up the turkey. I remember sitting around the table set with the best of China and silverware, dressed up, which I disliked doing, and having to use my best manners. I also remember the delicious food was worth the hassle. So was shopping with Mom for Christmas downtown Minneapolis the next day.
Moving to Wyoming changed all that. Usually, it was too far to travel back to Minnesota, though I think we may have done so once. What I recall about Thanksgiving in Wyoming is that we weren’t the only pastor’s family without family close by. A couple of years the pastor and family who served the Evangelical Covenant church in Laramie invited other pastors and families to join them for Thanksgiving.
While our parents knew one another due to conferences, we kids were strangers to one another. It didn’t take long before we kids paired off by age. There were games and talking and the adults pretty much left us alone, figuring we couldn’t get into too much trouble. All the wives contributed to the huge Thanksgiving meal that included about everything one could imagine. We ate until we could eat no more and came back for snacks later.
I don’t know how all the families fit into that house, especially for the night. I do know we elementary kids had a prime location. We set down our blankets in the living room in front of the TV. I remember watching the Wonderful World of Disney—in color! We only had a black and white at home. I remember snacking while we watched until we slept. The next day, Mom took us Christmas shopping in downtown Laramie.
The memory of that Thanksgiving without family sticks with me. These pastors’ families could have spent the day alone, until one family reached out. I know of a couple from Kearney who in years past did that as well. They opened their home on Thanksgiving to those who would otherwise be alone.
It is wonderful to be with family on Thanksgiving. We need to be thankful when we have family with whom to celebrate. But we also don’t have to be alone. We can reach out and share the day with family, friends or others who would otherwise also be alone. Together we can give thanks checking off our blessings instead of our complaints as we celebrate in gratitude together.
Happy Thanksgiving!
© 2024 Carolyn R Scheidies
Published column Kearney Hub 11/9/2024
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