The Table: Thanksgiving with relatives

Cindy ArpOur Town Neighbors, Powell

How many people were at your house yesterday?

Physically, there were eight friends and relatives here; but there were many more. The table was covered with my mother’s tablecloth, the dishes were a gift from an elderly cousin who was a grandfather to me. The sweet potato recipe was from Dan’s sister, and the table formerly belonged to a much-loved aunt.

You could almost hear my father saying in that joking way of his, “This is good eats,” echoed by Dan’s dad, “Now this is good food. Let’s all take our time.”

As a child, I took for granted that my people would be there. We would always sit around the table with my parents, my grandmother, my sister, our cousins. As we grow into adulthood, we find those constants aren’t as constant as we thought, and the holidays can bring that reality home quickly. Memories of the past, of people no longer with us, can make holidays difficult.

Our love for our friends and family doesn’t fade, but as time passes and our lives continue, we can find our way to our memories. We can see the joy in the past, we can remember those wonderful times, and we can add those memories to the gratitude we give during this holiday.

Families grow, new memories are formed, and those memories add to the richness we already possess. All our people are still with us. We still share our lives with them. They are in a different form, but they are still there, participating in our lives, and for that, we give thanks indeed.

To quote Meister Eckhard, “If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough.” But perhaps Mr. Rogers said it best, “It’s a wonderful day in the neighborhood.”

Happy Holidays, everybody.

Cindy Arp, teacher/librarian, retired from Knox County Schools. She and husband Dan live in Heiskell. And she goes hiking once a week – even in a forest fire.

 

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