Smile…Cry…Scream…Laugh…Whatever…Just Remember to be Thankful

The girls and I were in the car on our way home this past Saturday and we were laughing at something. I don’t remember what we were laughing about, but it was one of those genuine belly laughs, and it felt good. My youngest sat in the back alone and when my oldest glimpsed back at her and saw tears in her sister’s eyes. It made her laugh even more until she noticed that her sister’s tears began to flow more than the laughter. That’s when she alerted me, “OMG, Tori is crying for real, Mommy! Tori, why are you crying?”

Tori was hesitant to explain for a moment, but she finally yelled, “I hate CORONA”! Although her tears seemed sudden and unexpected, I knew where they were coming from.

Last year was the best Thanksgiving! All of my siblings came to town. The girls stayed at my sister’s home, right around the corner, and camped out with all of their cousins on my sister’s living room floor. The adults made sure the kids were fed, but that was all we had to do in regards to them. The cousins, like cousins always do, entertained themselves with video games, hide-and-seek, tag, dance competitions, you name it – they did it. Their #1 priority was to have fun. And that, they did.

If you knew my family, you would know that putting us together is always a recipe for LAUGHTER. Last Thanksgiving, the only thing the girls and I remember is laughing… at something…anything…just lots of laughter.

So, her tears were justified, and I felt each one.

I told her it was okay to cry… it’s okay to be angry…it’s okay to scream at the situation the world is in right now because it sucks (there is no nice way to put it)!

After a moment, she did scream… and she screamed loudly…I joined her…my oldest daughter began to scream too…we were serious…but then, something happened inside, and Tori laughed at her scream! Before we knew it, we were all laughing again, at what?! I still don’t remember.

Thanksgiving 2020 is different. No one came to town. We didn’t go anywhere. My sister and her family may do a drive-by later today and sit in our backyard for a few minutes. She has to pick up the pie I made for her, and I just hope the weather holds up when she does.

This year, we don’t even have turkey on the menu. My husband and the girls didn’t want the traditional turkey and dressing meal. We are having a seafood boil instead. I figured that if 2020 wants to be odd, strange, and challenging, we can throw our twist in there with a big pot of crab legs, clams, and shrimp for Thanksgiving! I did make my traditional pies… that was non-negotiable.

No matter how you chose to approach Thanksgiving 2020, just remember that if you can read this sentence, you have every reason to smile and be thankful. No, today is not your average Thanksgiving, and maybe you are without someone at the table, but we are here, and we should be Thankful. Smile, cry, scream, laugh, do it ALL if it gets you through today. Just be thankful.

Little POW-wow, Pearls of Wisdom

· If you need something to help you smile, here are a few quotes I found that made me laugh:

“There’s always something to be thankful for on Thanksgiving. Even if it’s just not being a turkey” – Unknown (or crabs or shrimp! 😊)
“Thanksgiving – when the people who are the most thankful are the ones who didn’t have to cook” – Melanie White
“Cooking tip: Wrap turkey leftovers in aluminum foil and throw them out.” – Nicole Hollander
“I can’t cook a Thanksgiving dinner. All I can make is cold cereal and maybe toast” – Charlie Brown
“We may not have it all together, but together, we have it all” – Anonymous
Why did the police arrest the turkey? …….. They suspected FOWL play! 😊
Why didn’t the cook bother to season the Thanksgiving turkey?……. She didn’t have THYME! 😊

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!

Tune My Heart…

“We Are Family” is the #1 hit song by the group, Sister Sledge. It debuted in 1979 – but it is still a HIT.

There is a line in this song that stood out to me today:

“No, we don’t get depressed… here’s what we call our golden rule… have faith in you and the things you do…You won’t go wrong … this is our family jewel”

Your family table may look a little different this Thanksgiving. That’s ok.

You may not “have all your sisters with you” today. That’s okay.

Who you are with today, that is your family. Your neighbors are your family. We are family – and for that – we are thankful.

Enjoy!