Thanksgiving. Why bother?
In a normal year, not 2020 full of forthcoming vision and all its previously delightful expectations, families came together once a year to complain about politics and the weather while sampling appetizers and other delectables.
After some small talk and how you been’s, everyone takes turns thanking a more powerful being for everyone’s health and all the little people they stepped on to get them to where they are today (or is that just me?). The group eats too much, complains about eating too much, then continues the argument of politics and the weather over various competitive board games, and card games if you’re lucky.
Hopefully, the family helps with clean up before heading home and ranting to their spouse in the minivan about your family…or… if I didn’t love you as much as I do, I would have told her off…or…What the hell is wrong with your brother… or…wouldn’t be a family outing if your father didn’t fall off the porch again… You get the point. It’s a typical last Thursday of November in America.
But this year isn’t a typical Thanksgiving, is it?
Instead, there are Covid-Turkeys running rampant through the streets, giving rabies to puppies, and infesting our children with small pox. Wait, that was a book I was writing. Let’s start that thought over.
This “unprecedented” (word of 2020) year, I saw a commercial indicating that Whole Food is offering warranties with a turkey purchase. Because so many people are avoiding giving their elderly family members the plague and attempting their own turkey burning fiasco for the first time, the grocer stated that if a consumer screws up their turkey, you file a claim, and Whole Food will provide you a gift card to the store. Genius!
So instead of arguing with the family you haven’t seen all year about politics and weather, you burn your genocide turkey, Zoom a family member, and call it a day. Where’s the family camaraderie in that? I mean seriously, there’s no arguing between the progressives and conservatives? This year will be as simple as saying, “Sorry we have a bad connection.” And then text the opposing view point of how the Wi-Fi went down in your area. “See you or Zoom you at Christmas.”
Yes, I know, I’m sounding harsh when (bla bla bla) Thanksgiving is a time of caring and (bla bla bla) we should remember our roots and (bla bla bla) we should be grateful for (bla bla bla). But in my reality, I try very hard, usually with some success, to appreciate my small world every day. It doesn’t always work because I’m ticked about politics or the weather, but I try.
To say that someone long ago declared this day as a holiday for reasons we won’t debate, makes me sad to a point. If you miss mom on June first, call her. If you miss drunk-aunt (that’s me) on a Wednesday, send her a text. When you wonder how your friend from high school is doing now, stalk them on Facebook like the rest of society.
Why do we have to wait for a so-called holiday to appreciate those we love? I’ll tell you why. Too many of us take our crazy family for granted. We assume they’ll always be there, ready to argue that political point or complain about the weather. But realistically, they won’t always be there, will they?
So, love the ones you’re quarantined with. Love the rest of the dysfunctional family from afar. Send a shoutout to those who’ve left us behind. And always remember to thank the cook.
Cheers and Happy Thanksgiving!