Traditions are big with me.  As a Norman Rockwell fan, I like to bring the emotion of those images to life – creating the ambiance with good food, festive décor and those little touches of warmth and cozy.  I’m not aiming for perfection rather it’s the welcome comfort of home as you walk through the door.  My Thanksgivings have been celebrated in a variety of ways.  Regardless of the season of life I might have been in, each one has reflected a different aspect of a grateful heart.

As a child, I have little recollection of our Thanksgivings other than my mother getting out the good china and having to polish silver. We rarely ate in the dining room unless it was a holiday. The memories seem to center around that big table in our “fancy” room.  Perhaps, my memories are foggy because I was relegated to a kids’ table?  As an adult, I have been blessed with wonderful Thanksgiving celebrations, surrounded by family and friends.  Being a single-parent opened up many invitations.  The generosity and welcoming hearts of others was a blessing.  Other Thanksgivings stick out because of their uniqueness:

PJ Thanksgiving – What a great day of cozy!  We invited a friend who needed a bit of warmth in her life.  My son and I welcomed her into our little celebration with the one requirement, pajama attire only.  We enjoyed watching the Macy’s parade in the morning.  Dug through the massive Black Friday newspaper with all the holiday shopping ads.  Ate too much and watched holiday movies with our own fire crackling in the center of our celebrating.  Thankful for provision.

Solo Thanksgiving – I had invitations to family celebrations, however, work demands at the time prevented me from traveling.  My son was off to his dad’s and the house seemed unusually quiet.  There were other invites from friends but I chose to embrace the calm.  It was a purposeful recharge holiday.  I enjoyed a lazy morning with coffee, cinnamon rolls and the Macy’s parade.  A long walk followed by an afternoon of watching the full PBS Ann of Green Gables series.  I still had the traditional dinner, complete with roasted turkey leg and all the fixings.  It was a joyous day despite missing my son.  By choosing the calm over chaos, it turned into a wonderful restorative holiday.  Thankful for stillness.

New York – My husband blesses me with opportunities to cross things off my bucket list; this was one.  While in Philadelphia visiting a friend, we took the train into NYC for an overnight excursion.  We saw the Macy’s parade balloons being inflated the night before, enjoyed a fantastic pre-Thanksgiving dinner with family and wandered the streets of New York to soak it all in.  I felt like a kid in the midst of the people and stunning cityscape! It was all about the BIG balloons alongside the holiday excitement in the air.  Thankful for an abundance of love.

Pie Time – My son and his wife wanted to learn how to make pies and it was the moment to hand down my mother’s recipe for the best piecrust ever!  It was a wonderful time in the kitchen with a bit of competitive spirit thrown in. Lots of laughter that evening before Thanksgiving.  The pies were delicious!  Thankful for legacy.

Our Thanksgivings have welcomed those with nowhere to go, co-workers, friends and family.  Celebrations have bridged the generations and stretched our home to its limits. Traditions now are more immediate family-centric.  With the activity of a couple grandkids, the house gets small very quickly.  Now we’re beginning to have them be involved in the preparation.  Many hands make the work light?  Many little hands make the work joyful and messy!

I am thankful to you, the readers.  Thank you for allowing me to come into your day and share my heart and experiences. May you find the perfect way to celebrate a grateful heart this Thanksgiving season.