Thanksgiving in the USA

Getting ready for Thanksgiving

The highlight of November in the United States is the Thanksgiving holiday. It represents the beginning of the holiday season. I am so excited that Steve and I will be going back home to California this year to have a real family Thanksgiving. This is the first time that we will be back in California with our family for Thanksgiving since we moved to England over 4 years ago.

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. There are many things that I love about this American holiday, as it is a day to celebrate with our family and share some of the things that each of us are thankful for and as we count our blessings we realize the abundance on our lives. This awareness of thankfulness, this attitude of gratitude permeates throughout the entire day and into the evening lasting throughout the entire weekend and throughout the holiday season. It is a great way to begin the holiday season. Each one of us has our own list of things that we are thankful for: Our family, good health, friends, waking up to a new day are on the top of my list.

Thanksgiving to me is about spending time with the family, everyone sitting around the table together, eating a lot of food special to the holiday (very much like the English Christmas Dinner – turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing, potatoes, gravy and bread rolls, and instead of Christmas pudding, my favorite pumpkin pie), sharing what we are thankful for and just having fun with the family. That is why I refer to it as the day of family, food & fun.

A New Tradition

This year we started a new family tradition. Our family went to our daughter-in-laws parents Mark and Dianne’s house for Thanksgiving. Steve and I, our son Joshua, our son and daughter-in-law Jonathan and Elizabeth, my mom and dad and their caregiver, Linda, celebrated Thanksgiving with Elizabeth’s parents, her sisters, brother, aunts, uncles and cousins. There were twenty five of us in all.

This trip home was planned (as opposed to the past two that were emergency flights home to care for my parents) so I was in a more relaxed atmosphere which gave me more quality time with my mom & dad, and the kids, and allowed me to visit with a few girlfriends too. Then when Steve arrived we visited a few friends, as well as taking care of some holiday shopping and getting in on the holiday sales. We all had a really good time together and for that I am very “Thankful.”

Jonathan, Liz and Joshua & Cousins

I hope that my story inspires you to sit down and spend some quiet time to begin making your list of things that you are thankful for. It will make you feel so good when you realize all of the blessings in your life. I know that it brightens my day. I like to add to this list on a regular basis, thus creating a book that you can share with those you love now and throughout your life. It will have an effect on you, I promise, as you begin to see the positive things in every day.

Now what’s on your list?

Wishing you all a Happy and Healthy Holiday Season.

Maxine