A Week to Thanksgiving

 

One week from today is Thanksgiving and it's going to be a strange one for me.  It's going to be an uncomfortable one I suspect.

Thanksgiving 2019 was the last "regular" family gathering that I can remember.  My parents had moved to the shore permanently, but drove up for a midday meal.  Family friend/honorary Aunt Julie had not yet moved out of state.  So we were all together.  Who would have imagined that it would have been for the last time?

Thanksgiving 2020 we didn't see any family. It was just the three of us.  Although if I recall correctly, I did deliver some baked goods to Julie.  The day after we drove out to my in-laws which started a new(ish) tradition:  Deli Day.  (I need a better name for this...Thanksdeli?  Cold Cut Friday?)  We didn't do anything with my parents for Thanksgiving, although we had gone down in late October and I also went down on my own in early November and late December.  2020 was a STRANGE year.  (I think we can all agree to that.)

By last Thanksgiving (2021) Julie had moved and the three of us went to my parents for brunch.  It was the last time I saw my mother really enjoy eating.  All of us, excluding my father, LOVE bagels, cream cheese and lox, so that is what we brought down.  It is one of the last times that I can remember my mother being really happy and (semi) relaxed.  I made a small semi-traditional meal for the three of us that night.  (We have a Gardein Holiday Roast not because I am vegan, but because I cannot eat poultry and this is the closest I can get.)  My son had attempted to replicate Julie's much loved cranberry Jell-O mold (and done so quite well).  All in all it was a pretty nice Thanksgiving with my in-laws coming out to our house on Friday for our second annual Thanks-Friday (I really need a better name for this...a little help here?)

We did NOT go to my parents for Christmas last year (thank you Covid) and while we did a pseudo-Easter meal in 2022, by that time my mom was not doing well and barely touched her food.  So Thanksgiving 2019 was the last REAL Thanksgiving meal we had as a family with Thanksgiving 2021 being the last REAL family (food based) gathering we had where everyone was (relatively) happy and healthy.

Which brings me to next week. My in-laws will come out on Friday.  We will go down to see my father on Saturday.  (But not to have a meal; although one of us will go up to the attic and change out the furnace filter.)  On the actual day of Thanksgiving, it will just be the three of us.  

I plan to make a meal, although I'm not sure when we will eat.  (Afternoon?  Evening?)  I'm hoping this will be a low key day where we can watch the parade, play a little scrabble (that's kind of become a tradition between my husband and myself...he always wins) and perhaps just be together.  (Full disclosure:  there will be wine for me!)  It will be a slightly strange day, but hopefully it will be, if not a happy one, a day of calm and peace because that's something we could all use.