Thoughts About Thanksgiving 2020
Nov 21, 2020
Thanksgiving is my FAVORITE holiday!!
My Gramma Norma was one of the most amazing people I've ever known. She was an incredible cook, a fantastic entertainer, and just an all-around wonderful person. I don't remember how old I was at the time, but I clearly remember her declaring that Thanksgiving was her favorite holiday. Because I was young, I didn't get it. In fact, it made no sense to me that someone would be so excited about a holiday that revolves around food. No gifts. No big decorations. Just food.
Now, I get it.
Sure, Thanksgiving is about food. But it is also about gratitude. It is about friends and family. It is about slowing down and appreciating all that you have.
Just like much of the rest of 2020, Thanksgiving will be different for so many this year. Travel restrictions. Gathering restrictions means smaller get-togethers. Some of your favorite activities might also be cancelled.
Even before COVID, I knew that Thanksgiving 2020 would be different this year. For the past 15 years, we've hosted a flag football game in our backyard on Thanksgiving morning. Not only was there a football game, but also a Make-Your-Own-Bloody-Mary bar, which meant friends would always stop by for a drink on their way to their own celebrations. It was relaxed. It was celebratory. I loved that part of the day!
But we moved, and we no longer have a backyard to play football in. And we've moved just far enough out of town that it's a bit inconvenient for people to stop by on their way to their own Thanksgiving. So yeah, I knew it would be different this year.
And also, there is no organized 5K in my town. And the Turkey Buster Bootcamp at my gym has been canceled. This will be the most pared down Thanksgiving of my adult life...and probably yours, too.
Which means we can focus on gratitude. We can focus on what we have, not what we're missing out on. We can celebrate being safe and healthy.
Mike's parents are in their late 80's. They're healthy, but they're older. It's hard to know if they would survive COVID if they became ill. We've seen them twice since the beginning of the year, and it breaks their hearts to skip Thanksgiving with us this year. But we've made the decision that we will not be celebrating Thanksgiving together...so that we can celebrate many more holidays together in the future.
It's been a tough decision, but it's the right one.
I know many of you are facing similar decisions. I know it's not what you had planned. I know it's hard. I know it's inconvenient.
But this pandemic is bigger than all of us. And it takes all of us making good decisions for the greater good to keep each other safe. Even when it's personally hard or inconvenient.
When you're enjoying a scaled-down, smaller celebration this year, be sure to recognize all that you have, and all that you have to be grateful for. And be sure to express a little extra gratitude for the healthcare workers, who are caring for the sick and dying, and in some cases, forced to make difficult decisions about who will receive treatment.
I hope your Thanksgiving celebration is full of gratitude...and delicious food. Be safe. Keep it small. Wear a mask.
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