Americans observe Thanksgiving today, but this observation feels pretty low from here. Thanksgiving possibly holds the title of favorite holiday in my book. I love it because, in my tradition, it is the holiday which is purely about the holiday. With every holiday, family and friends come together to enjoy good food and one another's company, leaving at the end of the day with a renewed sense of family and strengthened conviction of our many blessings. And that's the whole point of Thanksgiving. There's nothing else to get in the way, to dress up for, to shop for or to decorate. We simply cook, gather together, cook some more, eat, and enjoy each other's company.
But in addition to its beautiful simplicity, Thanksgiving has a tangible feel to it. The weather is chilly, if not actually cold and snowy outside. But the house is toasty warm, full of people and with the oven running all day long. The air is thick with warmth, and with the scent of the food slowly cooking, the spices being added to everything.
Whenever the meal comes, we exclaim over every dish - most are unique to this meal, even though we could easily make them year-round. The tradition of the meal and the combination of dishes makes it taste fantastic. The likelihood of things being made from scratch, and the potluck effect enhance the flavors further. And then the leftovers the next day, while extra people are still sleeping in the house and work and school have been out for two days. The quiet festivity of a day spent eating and gathering with family.
But how do I pass this on to my kids?
Dave had work today, and so he left home at 7:30 this morning and returned at about 7:30 tonight. The girls had school today, and ballet class after school. We got home at 5:15, and I quickly put a cold dinner on the table so we could eat by 5:30.
Not exactly traditional, but we did have turkey, homemade bread,
cranberries and corn for dinner on Thanksgiving day.
And who wouldn't feel happy eating these cupcakes?
Its not pumpkin pie, but they're so pretty and they're still
pumpkin based so it counts.
We will gather with friends tomorrow for a more traditional Thanksgiving meal. I'm bringing pumpkin pie, chocolate creme pie, and cranberry salad - a recipe from a family member, no less. We'll have turkey and gravy, stuffing and rolls, plus whatever the Germans, British and the Filipinas are bringing to the table. But while sharing a big meal and a large table with friends may recreate a semblance of Thanksgiving for Dave and I, it has no sense of tradition for my children. This is simply another meal eaten with friends.
What can I do to create a tradition of Thanksgiving for them? There are only a few days a year when I feel our lifestyle cheats my children out of something very important - their culture, their family, and their tradition. Thanksgiving is one of those days.
So I'm a bit of a grump today.
Add to that the hours Dave has been working - home no earlier than 7:30 at night, just to dive right into Mandarin lessons at 8:30.
Add in that poor Annika the Peaceful is teething and not sleeping... nor sitting alone happily for longer than 5 minutes.
Add in poor Sophia the Tempermental who is simply not happy, a problem I can't seem to diagnose, let alone fix or live with comfortably.
Luckily, Lilly seems quite happy and I'm surrounded by good friends. I should say blessedly. God has allowed Lilly and I to land blessedly well here.
Dave and I both feel exhausted and overwhelmed. We certainly will not go to sleep tonight feeling the peace that comes from a full belly and a day spent on the couch surrounded by family.
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