Thanksgiving Thoughts

Thanksgiving Day always reminds me of my childhood and growing up next door to my maternal grandparents.  All the Hawkins family gathered and grandma and grandpa's for Thanksgiving and I so looked forward to seeing all the aunts, uncles, and cousins.  It was the only day of the year the whole family was together.  From the time I was small, I got to help with the preparations.  All the aunts brought side dishes and desserts but mom always helped grandma with the turkey, dressing, etc.  I can still remember how exciting it was to stand in the kitchen, on a chair when I was very young, tearing up stale bread for the dressing. 

Those experiences served me well later in life.  When I married and went to the Air Force with Steve, I was the only wife in our group who knew how to prepare a Thanksgiving dinner.  Dad, having spent several holidays overseas in WWII, would always send me $25.00 to buy food to cook a Thanksgiving dinner for our group of friends.  Yes, in the 1960s $25.00 bought a lot of food at the base exchange.  I will always be thankful that dad had the insight to know how much that meant when away from home at holiday time.

Today I live close to all my children and see them often so Thanksgiving is not a big holiday for us.  Cindy's inlaws run a ministry to the homeless in Dallas.  They are usually serving food there or in Oklahoma with his other relatives.  Christy goes to her inlaws but Dustin  usually prefers staying with us.  Chad and his family will be back with us this year.  For a couple of years they went to his brother-in-law's when he was stationed at Ft. Hood.  Now that he and his family have been transferred to Ft. Rucker in Alabama, Chad and family will be at our house.  Chad is frying a turkey in his turkey fryer so I don't have to deal with the turkey.  Thank you Chad!

One of the things I am thankful for is all my Thanksgiving Days in Southern Indiana, the good memories of Thanksgiving Days with military friends, and Thanksgiving Days in my "old age" with whoever is around.

May God bless all our Family and Friends with a Blessed Thanksgiving Day.