Thanksgiving Day – 2013
Thanksgiving Day (Credit: Microsoft Clip Art)
Each of us has a great deal for which to be grateful (I happen to think I’m one of the most fortunate people in the world). But Thanksgiving Day is never all it’s cracked up to be. Sometimes the Turkey burns or the pie falls flat.
The holiday brings with it idealized notions of large, amicable extended families feasting on plenty. And it’s easy to see those depictions and feel like we somehow fall short of the dream, to varying extents.
Some people are alone. Some are eating with people they really would rather not be with. Others have little to eat or are stuck in hospitals, prisons or other institutions. Joyce Wadler of the New York Times posted a poignant essay I read this morning that’s hard to forget. It reminds you to count your blessings.
At my house, I’m missing some of the family members who once had a seat at my table. In fact, my table has shrunk so much that for the first time ever we’re eating at a restaurant. But life has its twists and turns. Thanksgiving comes and goes each year and no two are exactly the same. That’s because life has its up and downs—as do friendships. It’s often a balancing act trying to ride the waves.
Depending on where you live and whether or not you celebrate the day tomorrow, I hope you find a way to enjoy your day and the people who around you. I’m so thankful you have shared your friendship stories and quandaries me and other readers, and have made us all better people because of it. Special thanks to Carlin Florin, Amy Feld and Jacqueline Rodgers who were so particularly helpful and supportive to me and others on this blog over the last year.
My warmest wishes for a day filled with blessings, Irene
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And thank YOU for your friendship, support and advice. I hope you had a wonderful celebration! xo
Guest blogging has been a pleasure. I am thankful to have been asked by you :).