Thanksgiving traditions have remained deliciously unchanged over the years. Family and friends gather around the table, share a bountiful meal and bask in a holiday glow. We give thanks for the food on our plates, roofs over our heads and festive spirits that bring us together.
What about all the secret things we are thankful for on this wonderfully overstuffed holiday? If you asked everyone at the table to be honest, you could take notes and come up with a very interesting list.
Let us start with tofu turkey. Who isn’t thankful that the bird on the platter is bona fide poultry and not a plant-based impostor? With all due respect to vegetarians, we are so grateful that this hasn’t become a thing.
Many of us are thankful we don’t throw the gravy boat when table talk turns to politics. The temptation is strong and justified, so we quietly appreciate our incredible self-control.
You are probably not alone if you harbor secret gratitude for a ban on selfies at the Thanksgiving table. This digital indulgence simply doesn’t work when there are more important things to focus on. Yes, I am talking about cornbread stuffing and green bean casserole.
If you have had it up to your eyebrows with pumpkin spice in everything, be thankful for pecans, sweet potatoes and apples. I share your longing for mouthwatering alternatives to pumpkin pie.
Your secret gratitude list might include oddly comforting things:
Pants with elastic waistbands come to mind. An excuse to excuse yourself and leave early works too. It could even be something as personal as your inability to boil water. Be thankful you won’t ever be asked to help prepare one of the most important meals of the year.
If I have made you smile, I am thankful. There isn’t a drumstick big enough to shake at all the listicles of things you should be grateful for on Thanksgiving. I know you know what they are – the food on your plate, the roof over your head and the spirit that holds us all together.
I give thanks for every wonderful thing about this holiday too. Still, I give thanks that I can poke a little fun at it and I thank you for joining me. Here at HolidayDispatch, I will always save you a place at my table.