The Thanksgiving holiday week-end is over and we are moving into the Christmas season. Thanksgiving was my favorite holiday as a child; we would always go to my maternal Grandparents’ home. They lived in a small two bedroom home that my Grandpa and Great Uncle built. It was situated in a neighborhood close to downtown, Great Falls, MT.
My parents would pack the three of us in the backseat of the family car and off we would go on the drive, only taking about two hours. We lived in Lewistown, MT. It took four hours when we lived in Kalispell. So a small home which usually accommodated two people, suddenly had to accommodate seven people and there was only one bathroom. Very close quarters, but we always had so much fun and so much love filled that tiny home.
Thanksgiving day would start with the turkey; my Grandma always said we had to tie the turkey up so it didn’t run away. So we would get the turkey under control and start on all the extra dishes of which there were many. By the time it was time to eat, the kitchen held cozy warmth from all the activity, and we would gather in the kitchen. Many times we had to open windows even though it was in the twenties outside, to add a little fresh air.
As I have grown older, Thanksgivings are not the same and have lost a lot of the appeal it once held for me. It is strange that the simplest things could bring so many happy memories. Our world is so complex now. I wonder if the children now will be able to create such wonderful memories of simplicity , warmth and love.