Who out there has ever experienced a thanksgiving day that goes totally according to plan? I know I haven’t. And for some odd reason, I still volunteer to take on the whole enchilada from planning to shopping to cooking.
You see, I h
ave this fantasy that this year will look a lot like Thanksgiving in the movies, where the subject of politics does not rear its ugly head, and mom isn’t stressed about the timing of the meal, and dad isn’t getting yelled at for not moving fast enough, and God forbid, all the stuff that got packed up and moved out of the dining room to make room for the extra table gets put in a place where it will be found again. Trepidation? Why of course, but certainly this year will be different.
So off to the grocery store we go, list in hand. The items you pick up as you sweep through the aisles fill every square inch of the cart and then some. You delight in having successfully grouped all like foods together, with crushable things on top. You’re a woman on a mission, determined to check out before crowds arrive!
Aha! A short line! You quickly hop on it and begin to contemplate how you are going to get all the items back into the cart once they are bagged. We all know that groceries grow bigger in the bags right? After a very long while, you begin to realize why the line is so short. She’s brand new. And there’s nobody bagging. It’s just your luck with all that ice cream softening, and you begin to practice patience. Finally in what seems like days later you make it to your car and head home. And the next trick is getting the 27 bags you’ve hooked onto both arms into the house without one of them splitting open.
Here’s when you find out that the refrigerator you cleared out will never be big enough. But haha you have determination. And duct tape!
Within hours after the circulation finally returns to your arms, you start to visualize the meal. Another list is started, comprised of all the things you meant to include on the first list, and the lucky one who walks through that door next “gets” to go. You remember to warn them about the brand new, overcautious cashier, and of course that’s right where they head…
It’s the night before Thanksgiving now, and you flop into bed, exhausted from all the preparations. The table is set so beautifully, and all those who have passed on are represented somehow at the table. Great grandma’s silverware, grandma’s placemats, the other grandma’s tablecloth, and so on.
Tomorrow is going to be great, you tell yourself. You can’t wait to have everybody together. The reunion of a family, the delicious food, the football games and Thanksgiving Day Parade with Santa kicking off the Christmas season. Yes, it will be awesome, and you truly can’t wait!
And now it’s finally Thanksgiving morning, and you’ve been up since 6:30AM, preparing the turkey for the oven. All the bowls are set out and labeled, vegetables peeled and chopped, and for just a few precious minutes you have the house all to yourself. The sun is coming up and it’s breathtaking. Another new day. Another dream. Another chance to make a memory.
What memories will you make this year? I’d love for you to post one new memory that your family makes this year that will be part of your story forever. Hop on my FB Coaching page and look for my post, and then respond. I can’t wait to see what unfolds for everyone this year!
Happy Thanksgiving to all, and may your weekend be filled with all the love you can handle.
With love,
Linda
