I have always loved Thanksgiving. It has all the family joy and none of the angst of Christmas. Well, maybe not none exactly but much less. What do I like?
- Gratitude. Thanksgiving reminds us to thank the Almighty but doesn’t impose and denominational expectations about how we do it. There is plenty to be thankful for, and a reminder once a year is a good thing. No matter how rough a year we’ve had, there are things to be thankful for in this country. One glance at the evening news is enough to remind us how many people have less reason than we do. Gratitude and generosity are kissing cousins.
- Low expectations. Thanksgiving is all about the food, and it is tough to mess up turkey. Unless you buy in to the Norman Rockwell version, no one expects perfection. Everyone is bound to like at least one of the dishes on the table.
- Friday. No, not Black Friday. A horde of Mongol warriors couldn’t drag me to a mall or big box store on the Friday after Thanksgiving. I like the extra free day, especially when family is around. There are movies, museums, and games to be had.
Come Saturday, we’ll be putting up the Advent wreathe and probably putting the tree in a window, but that’s for next week. For now I plan to lay back and enjoy it. This year, I even have time to get some writing done on my work-in-progress. But first, coffee.