giving thanks

Having missed out on Halloween, I signed up immediately when I heard about this Thanksgiving gathering.

Then I brought the dish I've always made on Thanksgiving, a layered salad, that everyone seems to like. It's not a dish I'd make for a family of three, so I was very happy to have a large group of people to prepare it for.

I got a little teary when I walked in, because the place was decorated so beautifully. Turns out there was a group of people visiting from the U.S., and they had brought the holiday decorations with them for this occasion.

Did I ever mention anywhere that Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of all? More than Christmas, more then Easter, it has always resonated with me. I hold dear the idea of having a formal occasion to gather together with family and friends to share a meal, for the simple purpose of giving thanks for all that we have. I also like how it hasn't been commercialized (or "kiddied-down") the way other holidays have been and is therefore low-key.

I was very, very glad to have a place to be and people to be with, to celebrate my favorite day of the year, albeit several days early. I sat across the table from a local (i.e., French) gentleman who reminded me of our uncle in Nothern Virginia, not least because they have the same name. Oh, how I miss him and other relatives on the East Coast.

But this is where I am now, and these are the people I am with. It would be a shame not to celebrate that.

So I say, with a thankful heart, Happy Thanksgiving to everyone, everywhere.