Thanksgiving

This is my favorite holiday (unless you consider my birthday a holiday, as I do). I won't go on my rant about how I feel about Christmas, just know that I would choose Thanksgiving over Christmas any day. Thanksgiving seems pure to me. No obligatory gift giving. No stress over giving the perfect present. Thanksgiving is simply a day to gather with people you love and have dinner.

Dinner in my family has always been loud and long, with everyone talking, sharing and laughing. We didn't always have the most intelligent conversations (I remember discussing how each of us would go to the bathroom if locked in our rooms. Why? I don't know.) but they made us laugh. For a few years my parents and Joe and I would go to dinner every Thursday night and I knew that we would be there from 6pm to after 9 most nights. To use Joe's word, we are verbose.

Since we got married, Joe and I have had both families to our house for dinner. Joe makes an amazing turkey and each mom brings sides. It works out really well. My favorite Thanksgiving hands down is the year that my best friend Margaret and her then boyfriend (now hubby) Dan joined us for dinner. In so many ways Margaret is part of my family anyway, knowing my relatives almost as well as I do. She also has this amazing ability to get along with anyone and the room lights up when she is in it. I am sure that helped make it special but I think there is something else. It felt comfortable; it felt like home. It was what Thanksgiving is all about- joining and celebrating the mere fact that we are all here.

There are things you do because they feel right & they may make no sense & they may make no money & it may be the real reason we are here: to love each other & to eat each other's cooking & say it was good.

So as I type this Joe is finishing up the turkey (thanks Alton Brown!) and I feel compelled to write the cliche, but nevertheless sincere Thanksgiving post, "What I am thankful for this year:"

I am thankful.....

that I consider my mom, dad, husband and brother my best friends.

that I have close girl friends that have known me before I had boobs.
that I am developing an amazing group of supportive friends, some old, some new, who make me feel like I can do anything and are truly my champions.

that my friends feel comfortable kicking off their shoes, wearing jammies and helping themselves when in my home.

that I have the physical strength to work out, that I was able to complete a triathlon and was able to experience that with my mom.

that I have a job where I can grow and learn.

that my cat gets up in the middle of the night with me when I have to go to the bathroom. He always looks half asleep, but he still comes anyway.

That I Am Happy.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! May you have be surrounded by family and friends, laughter and love.