Thanksgiving

Pre-middle and high school Thanksgiving was about hand turkey pictures, when did I get to move from the kids table to the grown up table and the Christmas decorations came out. Thanksgiving (and for that matter Christmas) dinners at my grandmother's house in NY with everyone there was warm and loving chaos.

Middle and high school it was all about OJR football games then big turkey dinner and still getting the Christmas decorations out. Because both Paul & I were in band during high school there was no traveling for the holiday. In college it was still OJR football (my college didn't have a football team!) then big turkey dinner. Though I was no longer in band, I was now the one traveling home from school so dinner was at home.

One day I moved away from home. By this time I was 3 years into a corporate job and engaged. Now Thanksgiving was not having to go to work and where was the big turkey dinner going to be. Do we go home at Thanksgiving or Christmas? Which family had us on the day for dinner? Or better yet, did the relatives come to us?

So I replaced football and friends with visiting relatives or gatherings of friends. If the relatives visited me, I was cooking. If I was visiting the relatives, I was helping. If no relatives were involved, someone in the circle of friends hosted the 'orphan turkey dinner' for those of us not traveling or having a house full of relatives. One of us hosted and everyone brought a dish to contribute. I hosted many times as we used to smoke the turkey (mmmm...smoked turkey) and it was easier to bring side dishes to my house. One year stands out as the orphan turkey dinner was first held outside. My friends in Phoenix are thinking "eh, no big deal." Well then I was living in Roswell, Georgia and a Thanksgiving Day warm enough to eat outside was a rarity.

Lots of life changes later, here I am 18 years into corporate work and single. Thanksgiving has become more and more about not having to go to work. It used to be about wondering if Paul would book a last minute flight or only come for Christmas. I used to get annoyed by his indecisiveness, now I miss it. Oh, there's still turkey dinner however it just isn't the same. Rather, maybe I'm just not the same - a more likely scenario. Thanksgiving is still about family and friends however, that part won't go away just how it gets done changes.

It's also still about putting up the Christmas decorations. Someone remind me not to take down mom's lights when I'm hung over this year..............