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Many of you know how much I love Thanksgiving. And I often feel frustrated when I see this beautiful holiday getting lost in the shuffle between Halloween and Christmas. I believe it’s so important to pause on this special day and give thanks for our many blessings.
Much of my belief system about Thanksgiving comes from my childhood. While other holidays involved our more immediate family, Thanksgiving was different. My parents invited a hodgepodge of people to our home who had nowhere else to go for dinner. This odd menagerie of people got together for a wonderful meal, laughter, and great conversation.
There was my dad’s cousin—a divorced woman back in a time when divorce wasn’t as common and acceptable as it is today.
My grandpa was there, along with his brother. They lived together and watched out for each other in their later years.
Another of my dad’s cousins also joined us. Everyone believed he was gay. But back then, people discussed the subject only in hushed whispers and giggles.
And there was a family friend, a bachelor farmer who lived nearby. I remember him as an animated man who entertained everyone with his many stories.
I’m sure there were others, too, whom I’ve forgotten over all these years. The menagerie of people changed a bit from year to year.
As I recall childhood memories of Thanksgiving, I’m reminded of the residents at our nursing homes. A few can leave and join their families for the holiday. And a few more can invite family to join them for a meal at the nursing home.
But most of the residents are like the people I remember from the Thanksgivings of my childhood—a hodgepodge of people with different backgrounds and unique challenges who come together to count their blessings over a delicious meal.
I hope you’ll make a big deal about Thanksgiving this year. Don’t let it get pushed aside by the activities of Halloween and Christmas.
Okay, enough about the serious stuff. To help us prepare for Thanksgiving, I thought it would be fun to share a few silly quotes about the holiday. I hope you’ll share them with your residents, too, as they’ll trigger lots of memories and discussions.
“You can tell you ate too much for Thanksgiving when you have to let your bathrobe out.” (Jay Leno)
“There’s always something to be thankful for on Thanksgiving. Even if it’s just not being a turkey.” (author unknown)
“A new survey found that 80 percent of men claim they help cook Thanksgiving dinner. Which makes sense when you hear them consider saying ‘that smells good’ to be helping.” (Jimmy Fallon)
“A lot of Thanksgiving days have been ruined by not carving the turkey in the kitchen.” (Kin Hubbard)
“It’s like being at the kids’ table at Thanksgiving—you can put your elbows on it, you don’t have to talk politics…no matter how old I get, there’s always a part of me that’s sitting there.” (John Hughes)
“I come from a family where gravy is considered a beverage.” (Erma Bombeck)
“Real ballplayers pass the stuffing by rolling it up in a ball and batting it across the table with a turkey leg.” (Tom Swyers)
“An optimist is a person who starts a new diet on Thanksgiving Day.” (Irv Kupcinet)
“May your stuffing be tasty. May your turkey be plump. May your potatoes and gravy have nary a lump. May your yams be delicious, and your pies take the prize. And may your Thanksgiving dinner stay off your thighs!” (author unknown)
I wish a beautiful Thanksgiving to my Canadian readers on October 10, and my United States readers on November 24!
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