Today is the Mardi Gras of gratitude. Or maybe the Super Bowl of gratitude. Depending on whether you view it as a party or a battle, I guess. Either way, it’s Thanksgiving. Happy Thanksgiving, guys!
The origins of the holiday are debatable. There are opposing viewpoints as to the history of Thanksgiving, and many historian types believe that the sanitized version we learned about in school is basically a fiction. The date of the first feast has been called into question, along with the motivation and even the menu.
Regardless of how it all came to be, the celebration has certainly changed a lot since its inception. Turkey Trots and football games weren’t exactly a part of the Thanksgivings of yore. Heck, turkey probably wasn’t even on the table. I’m pretty sure I was told they ate berries and venison, though. Seems fitting enough, seeing as Thanksgiving occurs during deer hunting season in Wisconsin.
Look, my son shot Thanksgiving dinner…if you were eating Thanksgiving dinner in 1621.
There are a few Thanksgiving facts we do know. We can say this – some Pilgrims and a group of Native Americans came together nearly 400ish years ago and ate some food. Also, back in the 1800s, a lady named Sarah Joseph Hale spent a good portion of her life campaigning to make Thanksgiving a national holiday (Fun fact: In her spare time, she also wrote “Mary Had a Little Lamb.”). She found some traction with Abe Lincoln, who declared Thanksgiving a federal holiday in 1863. FDR changed the date of the holiday in 1939. That didn’t go over particularly well, and the date was changed again in 1941 to the fourth Thursday in November, and there it remains.
Thanks to all these individuals, families across America will come together today to celebrate each other, watch a parade and/or a football game…and probably bicker a little. Or at least throw around some good old-fashioned passive aggression. Nearly 88 percent of them will eat turkey, according to (naturally) the National Turkey Federation. They will hold strong opinions regarding which version of green bean casserole is superior (I straddle the culinary fence between the fresh beans folks and the canned-soup slop camp. They each have their place on my table.). And they will take a collective deep breath before the holiday madness really ensues.
Growing up, Thanksgiving was a thirty-some-person affair at my Aunt Debbie’s house. Well, it was Uncle Larry’s house, too, and he probably even did the bulk of the cooking, but it was still Aunt Debbie’s holiday. She had an open door and a huge heart, and Thanksgiving was her jam. Before the meal, she insisted that all the guests stand in a circle and share what they were thankful for. We were all mostly grateful for the same things – health, family, time spent together, a few days off from work or school. And pie. Always pie. Seeing as there were so many guests, this gratitude practice could have led to cold mashed potatoes. However, the potatoes stayed warm (a Thanksgiving miracle!) and this “circle of thankfulness” remains a cherished memory.
Aunt Debbie listening to her guests share their gratitude. The potatoes are cooling off by the minute.
My Thanksgivings have changed a lot in the past 5 years. But some things will always be the same. I still believe that the idea of coming together and sharing a day of thankfulness is a good one, no matter its basis. In fact, I try to practice gratitude all the time these days, for everything from my work boots to my adopted hometown to our invincible goldfish.
And, this Thanksgiving, I am particularly thankful for (in no particular order):
All the police officers, medical professionals, military personnel and everyone else working today, allowing me the luxury of celebrating safely with my family.
The roof over my head and the fire in my fireplace.
My thoughtful and creative partner/best friend.
Thanksgivings past, the memories of which remind me that life can quickly change in both magical and heart-breaking ways.
Coffee.
Inspiration, which often goes with coffee.
Target, where I scored my lovely Thanksgiving table runner…along with lots of other things I don’t need.
Two amazing kiddos, and every small moment I get to spend with them. Whether I am playing Barbies with Ryan, or reading to Baylor each morning when I wake him up for school (Right now, we are halfway through “Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing.” Gotta love Fudge. I am not sure if Baylor feels the same. I think he is probably happy for a few more sleepy minutes under the covers and is too tired to protest the book aspect. I’ll take it anyway.).
Four grandparents who love those two kiddos.
Pie. Always pie. Well, not 400 years ago, because they were eating venison and berries, but you know what I mean.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!