Rhia’s Corner
By Rhiannon Waits
Thanksgiving – Being thankful beyond Plymouth Rock
Here it comes again. That time of year when we are bombarded with holidays that drives us to the brink of insanity and yet exhilarates us. We find ourselves in a time crunch and money pinch that often leaves us resentful instead of grateful for the things we have in this life. Sometimes we can become so intent on attaining what others have, that we forget to appreciate what we possess. I commemorate Thanksgiving beyond Plymouth Rock. I reach beyond the obvious to comprise all my blessings and achievements in a cornucopia that is more fruitful than the one that adorns the table. This has become my Thanksgiving tradition.
As the week before Thanksgiving arrives, I begin to calculate attendance to see how many will be attending our Thanksgiving feast. Our huge table usually has many chairs that are filled with friends as well as family, so counting heads is essential. I estimate the size turkey we will require, and commence planning the grocery list so I can purchase the ingredients needed for our side dishes and desserts. I stop to give thanks for friends and family that want to spend time with us on that day.
I will confer with Steve to ask, for the fifth year in succession, what he needs to prepare his specialties that we’ve become so fond of consuming. He always actively participates in the Thanksgiving festivities by composing the prayer of gratitude and preparing the best sides anyone could imagine. I am so thankful for him and his manner of diving into the holidays with me instead of sitting on the couch watching football and grumbling because the meal is delayed. I am thankful for him being in my life in so many ways that it would be impossible to list them with such limited space.
Micah and Jacob are the only two children still living at home with us. They take pleasure in and appreciate the holidays as well. They are always at hand to chop onions, slice potatoes and to do the clean up following the feast. Their older brothers are married and have homes and families of their own. Only Dustin and his family are close enough to celebrate with us in person. Their stepbrother and sister also live far enough away that they cannot attend. We are extremely thankful Mike and Jake are home with us and are such exceptional children. We are also thankful for our grown children and Stepchildren who are part of our lives and have enriched it beyond description. We are indeed blessed.
Two of our children have blessed us with two grandsons, one granddaughter, and one that should make its debut in February. Anyone that is a grandparent knows this is a blessing we are thankful for everyday. They melt your heart and turn you into a gushing idiot. The last two paragraphs contain “us” instead of “I” because when it comes to blessings with children and grandchildren – there is no “I.” We are both blessed and grateful so proper English will just have to make an exception in this case.
Whilst cleaning our house, I will take time to bless each room, and be thankful for having a beautiful home in which to reside. It isn’t a mansion, yet it is far from being shabby. To a homeless person a small trailer looks must look like a mansion. Success is measured in the individuals’ perception. We are so blinded by being desirous of what others have we forget to be thankful for what we do have. We strive to achieve more to fulfill our dreams, yet we need not blind ourselves to our successes in order to reach for our goals of more.
I believe that Thanksgiving should be a day that we all take time to reflect on what we truly possess, be thankful for we have and to embrace our family and friends. The holiday may have had a very different meaning in its origins yet like anything else its evolutions should be one of positive and constructive actions.
With all the aforementioned being put in the proper spiritual order of importance, I will touch on a few simplistic ideologies, which should remain untouched within this cherished celebration. To several, the sequential order of significance is skewed since they look forward to traditional feast of turkey and dressing, gravy (giblet or brown) candied Sweet Potatoes, deviled eggs, potato salad, rolls, and countless other individual family favorites. I would be amiss if I didn’t say I look forward to the amazing foods and the desserts that follow. In addition, I must confess that I enjoy the following week of leftovers that subsequently follows.
To be more aligned with the focus of this piece of writing, I should reiterate that I am truly thankful for the ability to have and prepare a mouth-watering feast, to be in the presence of loved ones and to reflect on the blessings that I have be given throughout my life.
Be thankful for the least gift, so shalt thou be meant to receive greater.
Thomas a Kempis (1380 - 1471)
Let us make one point, that we meet each other with a smile, when it is difficult to smile. Smile at each other, make time for each other in your family.
Mother Teresa (1910 - 1997), in her Nobel lecture
The act of nutrition is not a purely physiological event... The family meal is a formality that cultivates in us... a capacity for sharing, generosity, thoughtfulness, a talent for civilized conversation.
Francine Du Plessix Gray
