Thanksgiving.
And, as you know, there are two types of thank-you acknowledgements that come up this time of year. There is the obvious, it-would-not-be-Thanksgiving-without-mentioning-this, kind of Thank You – those that can bring a lump to the throat and sometimes a teary eye. For things like –
Gravity. I am thankful for gravity.
If not for that little human-helper, Grandma’s finest would drift right up out of the gravy boat, leaving the mashed potatoes high and dry (literally). And who knows where Grandma might be found, without our friend gravity?
I’m sure it’s mentioned at your house too, when the thanks-circle goes around the dinner table.
Then, there are not-so-obvious Thank You items. Like: Thank you Billy, for not doing to me the things you told your friends you were going to do to me, when I ended up dating your girlfriend. (I didn’t know about the Billy-part of the new relationship at the outset, I swear.) Thank you. Thank you. Thanks for sharing the pizza I had carried home on the passenger seat instead.
And – also not so obvious – thank the lucky stars for the gift of persuasive gab that enabled me to convince Billy that I should be allowed to retain my teeth – which has let me enjoy pizza (and turkey) all these years.
Thanksgiving.
Maybe it isn’t exactly like this at your house, or the gathering place where your group settles in for the feast.
Maybe you’re in one of those circles that gives thanks for home and health and families and good fortune and better luck and prosperity (no matter how modest). Could be you’re like me, thankful for AARP (Aches And Related Pains) as opposed to serious health problems. Glad for a job or thankful for retirement. Grateful for a second chance or a first opportunity. Giving thanks for remembering the anniversary or the birthday. Thankful for living to reach another one.
Thanksgiving can be for the welfare of someone else, someone close to you but maybe far, far away. Homecomings make for memorable Thanksgivings.
Our family used to go home to Grandma’s house (Grandpa was there too, but it seemed to me it was mostly HIS radio, HIS television, and HIS easy chair. Mostly Grandma’s house.) I was thankful, years later, that I asked her for her recipe for homemade egg noodles, those delicious chicken-and-broth covered noodles that contained half-an-eggshell’s worth of water. That was her recipe. I’m thankful I recognized that there are wavy boundaries in creating something delectable in the kitchen, and that something as inexact as half-an-eggshell could wind up tasting exactly perfect.
I’m thankful for those memories. And the chance to make new memories too, starting the day after Thanksgiving or even as soon as during the meal. Honestly, I have a long list of things that I am thankful for, beginning with the many folks who have made it possible for the bookshop to be settling into the new Rose District, including family, friends, guests and – particularly – Mr and Mrs Roy D. As for the non-book-thank-you section, I’ve gotten writer’s cramp making notes of all those appreciations.
I truly hope your day is exceptionally pleasing – filled with laughter, appreciation, and great company.
And gravity.