I remember seeing Mama tiptoe down the stairs in the wee hours of the morning to put the big bird in the oven. She'd always get up around 4 or 5 a.m. to be sure the bird would be done in time for lunch. After she'd slip it into the oven, she'd quietly pad back up the stairs to catch a few more winks before the household was awake. There was nothing better than smelling roast turkey wafting through the air. My stomach would begin to growl at the very thought of it and oh, how delicious that bird would be covered in Mama's homemade turkey gravy. Those were the days. When everything was ready and it was just a little after 12:00 noon, Mama would call us in to say grace. Daddy, Grandmother, my brother, sister, and I would pull up our chairs and we'd all sit around the table talking and eating. It was wonderful! Back then, I didn't realize how fast those years would slip away. I didn't realize how things would change after Grandmother and Daddy were gone and now, Mama is in a nursing home.
This morning, I got up early and mixed up the cornbread for my dressing. As I pulled out the ingredients, I remembered I'd given my cast iron skillets away to my daughters and I didn't have even one...what to do, what to do. Cornbread doesn't taste as good baked in a regular baking pan. There was no way it was going to have that wonderful, golden crust. It was tradition to bake it in an iron skillet just like Mama and Grandmother used to do. But alas, I'd have to make the best of it since I didn't have my cast iron skillet any longer. A regular baking dish would have to suffice. I gathered the ingredients necessary to make the cornbread and poured them into the baking dish, turned on the oven and waited for it to preheat. While the oven was coming up to temperature, I decided to go ahead and chop up my onions and celery. Thank goodness I have a food processor. I remember how difficult it was to chop all of those things by hand back in the day. Now, instead of it taking twenty or thirty minutes to wash and chop 3 onions and a large head of celery, I could have it done in just a couple of minutes. I'm thankful for modern conveniences like kitchen appliances.
The timer beeped telling me the oven was ready. As I slid the pan of cornbread in to cook, I could almost see, in my mind's eye, Mama pulling her big iron skillet of cornbread out of the oven. She always struggled to hold that big, heavy cast iron pan with her small, delicate hands but somehow, she managed. When she made her dressing, she never followed a recipe but I watched her and I learned all the secret ingredients.
There was always an abundance of food on our table at Thanksgiving. Although we didn't have much monetarily, Mama always found a way to make Daddy's paycheck stretch just enough to feed all of us. As a child, those are things you take for granted but as an adult, I look back and marvel. By the world's standards, we were very poor but how can you put a price on love? Everything we had was precious. We didn't have luxuries, only necessities, and often times, we didn't have those. At Thanksgiving, Mama always reminded us how blessed we were and how we should never take anything for granted. I remember her words well and have tried to instill them into my own children's hearts.
The smell of my cornbread filled the kitchen. I knew it would be time to take it out of the oven soon. Today I'd prepare one dish after another to take to my daughter's house for our gathering tomorrow. When the timer sounded, I took my potholders out of the cupboard and removed the hot, delicious cornbread from the oven. Placing it on the counter to cool, I moved on to my next task.
I gathered my container of sage, the salt and pepper, and cans of chicken broth. I'd mix up the dressing after I'd cooked a couple of pans of biscuits and the cornbread had completely cooled. I don't have a recipe for my dressing either. I've just stored it up in my memory bank and pull it out every year just before Thanksgiving. I made a mental note...one of these days I need to write it down to pass on to my children. They aren't ever around to watch me make it and learn what goes into it. I don't want our family traditions to slip away.
Later in the day, I'll mix together my special Hashbrown casserole and my fresh cranberry/orange salad. One of my daughters will make the sweet potato casserole this year along with green bean casserole. It seems we have the same things every year but that's what makes it special. Memories of our family gathered around a full table always provide such joy.
My husband is going to kill me! I need him to stop by the grocery store and pick up a few things that I've forgotten. I shoot him a text and pour on a little sugar coating to make it more palatable. "Honey, could you please run by the grocery store and pick up..." He always responds positively and I love him for that. Even if he doesn't really want to do it, he does. He's so good to me. I'm so thankful for him. Until I get the other ingredients, my cooking is at a standstill. I decide to make wise use of my time and head into my office.
Pulling up my emails, I find a nice surprise. I've received a notification from a cancer magazine telling me they're sending me a check for a recent article I'd submitted. It's really real! My first check for my writing will be coming soon! I'm an official, bonafide freelance writer! Oh, I've been writing for years and years, but this will be the first time I've actually been paid for my work. It's so nice to be able to do something I enjoy and reap the benefits from it at the same time. I'm thankful God has blessed me with the ability and desire to write.
Next, I decide to check Facebook. Every day my friends share about their lives through this giant social media network. Sometimes it's overwhelming to peruse their pages. It seems their lives are so much more full than mine but then again, I'm thankful for my life. I'm reminded, as I read through their posts, just how very blessed I am. Last year at this time, I wasn't sure I'd be around for the holidays. I'd been diagnosed with Stage IIB Invasive Ductal Carcinoma, a type of aggressive breast cancer that had metastasized into my lymph nodes. I was expecting to become very sick and die, but God had other plans. After my treatment and a time of extreme radiation fatigue, I got better. I am so thankful I've been doing well physically despite a few daily challenges like tiredness, swelling, and general malaise. Last year, my Thanksgiving celebration, though quiet and peaceful, wasn't something I really spent a lot of time dwelling on...this year is a different story.
As I spend the day before Thanksgiving cooking and preparing my favorite dishes, I'll travel back to sweet childhood memories. I'll remember the days of my youth with fondness and pleasure, savoring the holiday joy from years past. I'll count my many blessings from days long gone and add to them blessings from the present. As I mix and stir, blend and spread, I'll commit the sights, sounds, and smells to memory. I want to be sure I'll be able to recall them at a later date when I need them.
Tonight, when I go to bed, I'll drift off to sleep thinking about spending time with family tomorrow. I'll miss the ones who've gone on before me and I'll look forward to spending time with the loved ones still present.
Thanksgiving. What a great holiday! Of course, every day we should give thanks to our Creator for all the wonderful blessings He's bestowed upon us, but isn't it wonderful we have the tradition of celebrating with family on this special day of the year? We have so much to be thankful for and I don't ever want to take any of those blessings for granted.
There's a special quotation I'd like to share here that sums it up pretty well:
"I am grateful for what I am and have. My thanksgiving is perpetual…O how I laugh when I think of my vague indefinite riches. No run on my bank can drain it, for my wealth is not possession but enjoyment.” ~ Henry David Thoreau.
As you celebrate Thanksgiving tomorrow, think about your past but don't forget to be fully present in the moment. New memories await you. Do your best to count your blessings and be truly grateful. We have so much to be thankful for! God bless you and remember, you can always loosen the top button of your britches to make room for more! Eat up! Laugh! Have fun and celebrate big!
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