Gratitude Is Best Served with Cool Whip

In case you live outside of the US,
one of our biggest holidays is coming up this week:
THANKSGIVING--
from my earliest memories
it began with white construction paper shaped into a pilgrim's hat
or
construction papered Indian headress assembled with Elmer's glue.

Back in the Olden Days,

THANKSGIVING was, as far as I knew,

based on the kindness of native Americans to the New World Pilgrims

who were seeking freedom and liberty from the Old World.

It was all very simple.

It even tied into The Golden Rule...

treat others as you would want them to treat you.

The Thanksgiving Feast was the cumulative "Celebration"--

to be shared by family, neighbors, friends.

I remember food drives in school--

to make sure none of my classmates missed out on the biggest food holiday 

of the year.

My mother used to tell us kids how,

growing up in Florida, in a family of ten kids,

her brothers and sisters used to go pick citrus fruit

for their local church to make Thanksgiving Gift Baskets--

they'd work at the orchards all morning,

and soon after,

discover a Thanksgiving Basket on their own doorstep.

Hearing that story from my mother made me feel grateful

that people were good even way back then.

Growing up in a huge family--

we usually made two stops on Thanksgiving Day--

one to my Granma Guy's house in Miami.

The little three bedroom, one bath house on the corner

with the humongous rubber tree plant on the side,

and bougainvillas on every corner of the house,

the hand-laid kaleidoscope  tile walkway and porch that my Grandaddy made himself.

All or most of my Aunts, Uncles and 20-something cousins fit into that little red brick house

for Thanksgiving--

I still don't know how we all fit in there 

around the small round dining table--

I remember most of us kids sitting outside on the porch eating.

All of the Aunts brought over their favorite dishes,

while Granma made the turkey and stuffing.

And pies--my mom made a great pecan pie, served with Cool Whip.

The second stop we made was over to my father's only living relatives--

his Aunt Mary and her sister, Aunt Emily--

their home was huge compared to my Granma Guys' house.

They had a built-in pool right off the livingroom...

and a diningroom table that everyone could sit around

plus some.

Aunt Mary usually made something from Uncle Habib's Turkish background--

stuffed grapeleaves were my favorite.

Aunt Emily was always in the kitchen wearing her well-worn apron

with the pink rickrack trim and her house slippers,

her curly gray hair barely touching her sweaty neck

because the kitchen air was so hot.

She'd shoo us kids out from under her apron strings.

It's been decades since I've spent any time with any extended family.

I miss those cousins, Aunts, Uncles, pecan pies and Cool Whip.

Thanksgiving was never about Black Friday Shopping,

staying up all night long to get the "best deal" on Christmas gifts.

Somehow,

I don't know how really,

being grateful for one another was Enough.

A little turkey, 

a bit of dressing,

a spot of cranberry sauce,

devilled eggs,

pecan pie with Cool Whip

served up with family and friends--

whatever you do,

whomever you share the day with,

May your Thanksgiving Day be a memorable one.