Be thankful on Thanksgiving

There are certain times of the year when one reflects on the past, and for me, Thanksgiving is one of those times.

I remember, as a kid growing up in Thermopolis, that our house was where the whole family gathered for dinner. Aunts, uncles and cousins, my grandparents and my mother and I, all sitting together in the dining room, spilling over into the living room.

Grandma was always up at the crack of dawn making her homemade dinner rolls and cinnamon rolls and getting the big bird in the oven. There was none of this stuffing in a box, it was made with real bread, onions, celery and a dash of love.

The white tablecloth was freshly ironed along with the real, linen napkins and it was my job to set the table. We only used the good dishes on holidays and I would carefully pull out the “crystal” water goblets from the corner cupboard.

Grandpa could be found in his recliner watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, being a smart man and staying out of the kitchen.

When I finally became a wife and a mother, many of my family’s traditions were incorporated into my own little family’s celebrations.

The first time I made grandma’s dinner rolls I was thrilled, because they literally smelled just like grandma used to make. I still make pumpkin pie from fresh pumpkins, cooking it down and adding the cream and all the spices, none of that canned stuff in my house.

My favorite Thanksgiving, however, was about 25 years ago in a little California town called Perris. It was near the back gate to Camp Pendleton and I had a house full of Marines, their wives and children for Thanksgiving at our house.

I pulled out grandma’s good china and those crystal glasses. I ironed the tablecloths. I made the rolls and the pumpkin pies. There were so many of us there was two of everything, turkeys and tables.

Those poor Marines didn’t quite know how to act. That was my family.

So this Thanksgiving, as you’re gathered around the table, look around you and see the faces of your family. Smell the delicious food someone took the time and love to prepare.

Know you are blessed.