What happened to the ThanksGiving Holiday of my youth and the ThanksGiving Holiday in general? It just seems that more and more, Christmas with all its attention on buy this or buy that is taking over and we are just leaving the ThanksGiving Holiday behind. It is becoming a vendors world instead of what the Holidays are suppose to be about. Holidays are about family and friends. The loved ones in your life getting together and spending time with one another.
ThanksGiving is and always will be my favorite Holiday. When I was younger ThanksGiving was a time for family and friends getting together and sharing a meal. My mom and I would spend the morning cooking veggie dishes along with a ham. Mom and I would share stories and talk. It was a time of bonding and having fun just being together.
Once everything was prepared and dinner time came we would take what we prepared to my Aunt Shirley and Uncle Chucks house. That is where the family would get together to share the meal. Also we would share what we were thankful for. We would always do it buffet style and Uncle Chuck would always be the last one to go through the line because his plate was ALWAYS piled the highest. It was GREAT to see everyone and share family stories from long ago and the present time.
The venue for the ThanksGiving feast changed when my folks build their new house. Also when my cousin David got married. It seems as families got bigger and merged ThanksGiving got smaller as far as where it was held and who came. There were times when it was just the three of us {me and my folks}. I began missing the BIG family gatherings. A couple times we went to Virginia to join the family up there. Still it just wasn't the same as my youth. I miss those times.
We felt a huge loss when my Uncle Chuck died 10 years ago from cancer. None of the Holidays have been the same since. The lives of the family changed. I moved away and the sharing of Holidays began. Now with the estrangement of my mother and myself my Holidays are spent with my wife Kathy's family. Which is fantastic! I still miss the Holidays with my Mom and the BIG family Holidays of my youth. But things change as we get older and new memories are started.
ThanksGiving should NOT be overlooked. It is a time for family and friends. That is how I spend my ThanksGiving and I am so grateful for the family that I have now because there are people out there that have NO family or friends to spend this time with.
Don't let the Christmas time vendors suck you in and don't forget ThanksGiving comes first.
These are my thoughts, feelings and concerns from Jillsville.
I'm happy we share Thanksgiving with an ever changing group of family and friends. It's a holiday I love as well.
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