Give Thanks and Eat your Feelings

For as long as I can really remember, Thanksgiving has been my favorite holiday. You might say, Judy, but what about Christmas? Easter? Halloween? 4th of July? All excellent questions, but I never really liked things that go boom that much and the other holidays we weren't allowed to celebrate. I grew up in a somewhat sequestered religious environment. My dad was the associate pastor to my uncle who ran a non-denominational evangelical church with a church school. My whole life revolved around church and those in the church. For whatever reason, they had decided that the normal holidays were all pagan and we were pretty much sinners if we celebrated them. And Halloween, obviously, because of all the witchcraft and such. I mean, I wasn't allowed to watch the Smurfs for crying out loud because of the cauldron. And while they were technically correct that Christmas and Easter have origins in paganism, I really think the real reason we didn't celebrate was because my parents were poor and couldn't afford Christmas presents and Easter baskets. Well played, Mom and Dad.

But Thanksgiving, ah sweet, sweet Thanksgiving. On Thanksgiving we got to just be with each other and be happy and eat like kings! I'm not 100% sure how accurate the origins of Thanksgiving are, I'm sure some indigenous folks may have a slightly different story to tell, but to me, it has always been about being with my family and cooking and eating with the people dearest to me. When I flew out of the nest at the tender age of 31 and moved to California in 2011, that first 6 months was probably one of the hardest times of my life. Being in completely unknown territory without my close friends and family and a job I wasn't particularly fond of was not my finest hour. But the one thing I did have that first year was my mom who came out for Thanksgiving. And after I met the guy who would change my life altogether in early 2012, we had his family to spend the holiday with. All was right in the world on Thanksgiving.

Then came 2019 and the move to Idaho. I would love to tell you fine people that I was on board with the move 100% and embracing the change, but I very much was not. That 1st year I got a reprieve though, as my parents came out from Kansas City through a snowstorm, Bill's dad was still with us, and my brother and his fiancee were able to come from Portland to be with us on Thanksgiving. That was the last Thanksgiving we have been able to spend with family. Every year now when Thanksgiving comes around, I still get excited and still love to cook the classics, but I also get sad. I miss my dad's silly jokes. I miss Clay and Faythe and Moo and Chaela and their updates about what is going in their lives. I miss my mom's waldorf salad which just doesn't taste the same when I make it. So as much as I love this holiday, it can also be a real bummer when I can't be with the people I love on the day I enjoy the most.

The one thing that does keep me solid is that have the best partner in the world. We normally will invite people over but since our house is a wee bit under construction right now, it's just the two of us and the doggies this year. And I have so much to be thankful for. I was able to do my grocery shopping for this holiday without having to do cart math the whole time (those of you who have been poor know what I'm talking about). I buy brand name mayo and cereal. My dogs have all the treats their hearts could desire. We have a safe and warm place to lay our heads at night. And in a few minutes my brother will call and we'll just talk about nothing while we cook. So when the sads try to get me today, I'm just going to cover them in gravy, stuff them down, and go on about my business because there's no crying on Thanksgiving!