We had the opportunity to spend Thanksgiving at one of our daughter's boyfriend's parent's homes (how's that for possessive). It was a wonderful mix of friends, family and great food. It was very nice to be included, and a day for everyone to enjoy each other and ooohhh and ahhhh over the many wonderful dishes created by our hosts and each other. What fun! I know it must have been work for Chris' dad and stepmom, but they were mellow and smiling throughout. Apparently they have been doing this for almost 40 years, in varying configurations. What a fun crew. Our daughters Jess and Julia were with us, and Jim and I.
It was also interesting to be a guest instead of host. It was alien for me to stay out of the kitchen for most of the day (though I just had to help clean up a bit). I made spinach pie and pumpkin/banana pie which people raved about. This was a nice revelation too, as I guess we begin to take each other for granted year after year of pouring over a hot stove without much recognition. Not that I was looking for attention or plaudits - just nice that people notice when you put love into your food. There was a lot of love in a lot of this Thanksgiving's food.
I also enjoyed meeting so many new people. After so many years of spending time just with our extended families, this was an interesting change. I don't want to exchange experiences, but this Thanksgiving brought a fresh perspective on how we need to acknowledge and appreciate one another.
As I said in an earlier post, quoting Abraham, act as if... Act as if this is how you are already being treated. For me, that means to model behavior I most value, by truly appreciating the people who are in my life. I would like to make a list, but at the risk of outing all of my loved ones who may not want to be listed, you all know who you are! Husband, daughters, father, sisters and brother all, friends and coworkers.
No comments:
Post a Comment