Outside, the day is cold but clear—a perfect day for football games and after dinner walks. Inside, in the kitchen, mother and her helpers prepare the meal for this special day of Thanksgiving. The heat from the turkey roasting in the oven steams the windows.
Grandma’s lace tablecloth covers the dining room table. Two little pilgrim candles (boy and girl), and a paper mache turkey that has been in the family for years, decorate the table. A few yellow chrysanthemums left over from the frost add to its charm.
We are together, family and friends, to share a meal and give thanks to the Creator for His Blessings in our lives. We remember, too, those who once shared this day with us. We miss them so.
Thanksgiving can be celebrated in many places: our homes, restaurants, community centers, nursing homes (as I have experienced), military bases, and even houses of correction. What links us together is the people around us and giving thanks to our Creator.
When the meal is over, and the leftovers put away, we are tired with the happiness that comes from a fulfilling day.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Bernadette R. Gentry