Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024
What’s your Thanksgiving evolution?
Holiday of Thanksgiving…
It is more and more that for me,
The being Grateful / Thankful part.
Probably that’s part of having lots of years
Of living.
And now it is paying attention to
Living my moments.
I recently read,
“Aging lets you focus on savoring
Experiences in the moment.”
I try to think back on
Thanksgiving, the Day,
When I was growing up.
Focus was the particular meal.
Turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce,
Mashed potatoes, homemade rolls,
Two kinds of pie, pumpkin and mincemeat.
Mama was a skilled baker.
Cakes and cookies were her go-to creations.
But Thanksgiving tradition said “pie,”
So Mama made terrific ones.
She liked to have Thanksgiving dinner by 1pm—
That was so we had space for
Delicious turkey sandwiches late in the day.
She’d get up at 3am to get turkey roasting.
(It must have been big.)
Cranberry sauce came out of a can.
Open one end, tilt can,
Out slides cylinder of jellied sauce.
I’d never seen a raw cranberry
Until I was an adult.
Emphasis was on food.
Delicious, lots, varied.
Work for the cook.
My iteration of Thanksgiving…
Morphed into simplicity,
With enough energy to be grateful.
Still special foods….
I can’t forgo pie.
When efforts are made to collect people..
Family gatherings that let us
Share time as well as share food,
I am increasingly grateful.
Living / noticing precious moments
Is expanding my life.
Expanding my heart.
I am not as insular and bashful
As earlier in my years.
I KNOW how powerful connections can be.
Thankful / Grateful…
However I might name it,
I’m noting the holiday and
Taking it with me to
Influence every day.
Go well into your grateful days.
Hugs,
Lin
Limerick:
While being a food celebration,
Thanksgiving can have variation.
Without skipping pie,
I realize I,
Can live a Connect designation.
Lin, you have posted another reflection that informs the ways that I look at life at age 75 years. Thank you. And, I love the photos…. particularly of the one in which you are laughing!
I also am a completer of jigsaw puzzles and often have one in process in my office. Last night I completed a 1,000 piece puzzle of birds, that our son Tim gave me for my birthday. In December I will start a 500 piece Christmas-theme puzzle. I always do one of these before the celebration of Christmas.
Happy Thanksgiving to Bob and you,
from Randy and me… Muriel
Thank you so much, Muriel! Glad to know of your puzzling and celebration. Happy Thanksgiving to you as well!
I hope you have a wonderful day with family. I’m sure that pie will be delicious, as will the moments of connection.
I’ll be with 19 family members in southern NH – 3 siblings, in-laws, outlaws and 4 great nephews. My assignment is corn spoon bread, kale salad and home made cranberry sauce. I’ll sneak in a blueberry buckle dessert too.
Blessings –
Hope
A wealth of deliciousness! And a grand gathering of many! Have a wonderful time, Hope!
Hi Lin,
I always enjoy your posts, and especially this one.
When I saw the opening photo, I thought,”What pretty eyes Lin has!”
I am grateful for our many connections.
Love, Leslie
Oh, Leslie–thank you! I am as well. So appreciative. Happy Thanksgiving!
Thank you, Lin! Happy Thanksgiving to you and Bob 🦃
And to you, Jill! Thanks for the message.
Thanksgiving wishes to Lin and Bob. Gratitude is the attitude!
Thank you so much, Alan! To you as well! Wish we could pop in for conversation. Much love from both of us.