Thanksgiving Story
Thanksgiving 2001
by SunRae copyright
As I sit journeying through the yesteryears in my mind and Thanksgivings past. I see more then just a feast of food. I see a feast of loving hearts joined together in praise and family togetherness. The holidays of years past were big family get togethers with 60 people easily at times, gathered in my grandparents 14 room farm house. In the adirondack mountains of northern New York it is pretty cold at Thanksgiving time and usually there is snow on the ground. It is also hunting season and the men of the family use to make a weekend out of it. The old farm house would be running over with cousins, aunts, uncles, all of the not blood family and friends that always wanted to share the holiday. The old house was heated by a huge wood furnace in the basement and usually all of the upstairs rooms were closed off, but when the family was home for a holiday, the upstairs bedrooms were all opened up. Nice thick quilts that had been made by my grandmother were piled high on every bed. Believe me you were grateful they were because it got pretty darn cold in the upstairs of that old house. I can remember helping my grandmother tie off quilts for two or three days straight. We would set up the quilting racks and do several quilts at one time. Cousins often had to share beds and that was the most fun. We would snuggle down and tell stories and giggle until the adults would be hollering and threatening us with no dinner the next day.
Thanksgiving day would find all the women in the big old kitchen fixing mysterious dishes that made your tummy grumble with the smells. The guys would be out in the hayloft of the old barn shooting hoops and sparing for points in the basketball hoop hung there. We would all pitch in and get the tables set for dinner in between watching the thanksgiving day parades on TV. even the hallways had card tables set for the children. The dinner bell would be rung signaling all that it was time to eat.
All of a sudden you would see a fog of snow coming from the barn as the men made a mad crazy dash for the house. Several years before my grandmother becoming totaly fed up with calling the guys in to dinner several times and them waiting till they finished playing and the food was cold, had declared that the last four men in the house for dinner had to do dishes. Not just some of the dishes mind you but all of them. It became as much of a contest getting into dinner as it did to win at basketball.
Everyone would take their place at the tables and patiently wait for my grandfather (who was seated at the head of the main table) to say the blessing. Everyone down to the littlest babe was silent when my grandfather spoke. The words were always simple and full of praise for the Lord. We all joined hands and gave thanks for the bounty provided. Then we sat down to one of the most delicious meals you ever ate. My grandmother was well known for her cooking. Her homemade baked bread was worth sitting down to a meal at her table alone, not to mention the pies, cakes, and other goodies. After dinner the losers of the dash would do dishes and others would watch the football games. The cousins often times would play board games and help with the younger ones. The whole weekend was spent by family together.
My Grandmother and Grandfather are gone now, and the family holiday dinners no longer take place. The old farmhouse was lost to a fire several years ago. The family like many familys today is spread out all over the world. It makes me sad to think that my children and grandchildren will not have the oppurtunity to experience a large family get together like the ones of my youth. It makes me sadder still to know that there are many who will be alone without any family during the holidays. I am remembering so many special times that I have been blessed to share with family. Especially my grandparents. I miss them dearly and am so blessed to have had them in my life. I only hope that even as small as our family get togethers are today, that I will pass on to my children the importance of family. I hope one day they will say they are thankful for having a mom that treasures family and is so thankful to share her love with them. Happy Thanksgiving to all of you. Please take a few moments to stop and reflect on all the blessings in your lives and give thanks for the love you are given.
song: Give Thanks
You are Visitor No:
|
View Counter Stats
bravenet.com