So today is Thanksgiving Day, eh? It's strange being a world away from friends and family that I normally celebrate this day with. I kind of miss the weather being cooler, baking the pumpkin pie, hearing people talk about their plans for the holiday (or even having people talk about Thanksgiving), the smell of turkey in the oven... and most importantly, football--specifically, the Cowboys.
Every year for as long as I can remember, my mom would put the turkey in the oven, I would get to "paint the turkey" every other hour (baste it with butter), make the stuffing (that I never ate), and we'd sit down and eat it as the game started. I would pile my plate full of turkey, mashed potatoes, and carrots/green beans and then chow down. Even though I'd be ridiculously stuffed, I'd shove a piece, or two, of pumpkin pie in my face. It was awe-some! Heck, last year I even had Thanksgiving by myself because I really just wanted to be able to relive a childhood moment and have turkey/eat pie and watch the Cowboys.
Tonight though, I will be heading to Cathy's, my British friend, to have pizza and play some games. I'm super thankful for that girl being in my life... she is a rare gem in life. Even though it's not the ideal way I planned to spend my first Thanksgiving abroad, I have to make the best of it.
I read this blog today after I originally published this post and immediately felt the need to post it because I have experienced this feeling before in my life.
A few years ago, I remember sitting with my mom and dad on Thanksgiving Day eating our first dinner without my little brother. We went to a watch the movie, Alexander, and then had Whataburger for thanksgiving dinner. It wasn't the typical way to celebrate the day and there was never a time in the day that we even spoke of thankfulness, but I don't think we were really feeling thankful in that moment. My brother was court-ordered to be in another place away from us during that season and even though we're anywhere near the close-knit perfect family, I know I felt incomplete. I was hurting for my brother who was 13 at the time and had to spend that day alone with a group of people he didn't know--away from us. I couldn't imagine the loneliness he must have been experiencing as we walked around freely. Looking back, I think we kept ourselves busy and out of the house that day so that we didn't have time to sit at home and think about how other families were together with each other, celebrating the blessings they had experienced that year. To put it lightly, that year was the hardest year for us as a family and I don't think there were many moments we could look back on and say, "I'm feeling so happy right now and I'm glad..."
So for all you out there that may be having one of those years... I understand completely. It's okay to feel that way. And just know that in time, the joy will come back to light... you will smile a genuine smile. And you will look back years from now and the pain won't be there the same way that it is now. He will take it away and replace it with joy... and that is something to be thankful for.
Every year for as long as I can remember, my mom would put the turkey in the oven, I would get to "paint the turkey" every other hour (baste it with butter), make the stuffing (that I never ate), and we'd sit down and eat it as the game started. I would pile my plate full of turkey, mashed potatoes, and carrots/green beans and then chow down. Even though I'd be ridiculously stuffed, I'd shove a piece, or two, of pumpkin pie in my face. It was awe-some! Heck, last year I even had Thanksgiving by myself because I really just wanted to be able to relive a childhood moment and have turkey/eat pie and watch the Cowboys.
Tonight though, I will be heading to Cathy's, my British friend, to have pizza and play some games. I'm super thankful for that girl being in my life... she is a rare gem in life. Even though it's not the ideal way I planned to spend my first Thanksgiving abroad, I have to make the best of it.
I read this blog today after I originally published this post and immediately felt the need to post it because I have experienced this feeling before in my life.
"17 Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, 18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. 19 GOD, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places.Many dear friends of mine are approaching the holidays in the midst of such a season. Divorce. Estrangement from children. Financial crisis. Physical suffering. Death of precious loved ones. One friend recounted leaving a church service at Thanksgiving because he just couldn't put up with everyone's thankful testimonies when so much was going wrong in his life. Thanksgiving became a catalyst for his crisis of faith. He's emerged from that season, praise God. But I heard him clearly. When you are hurting, American Thanksgiving in conservative Christian culture can be salt on an open wound."
A few years ago, I remember sitting with my mom and dad on Thanksgiving Day eating our first dinner without my little brother. We went to a watch the movie, Alexander, and then had Whataburger for thanksgiving dinner. It wasn't the typical way to celebrate the day and there was never a time in the day that we even spoke of thankfulness, but I don't think we were really feeling thankful in that moment. My brother was court-ordered to be in another place away from us during that season and even though we're anywhere near the close-knit perfect family, I know I felt incomplete. I was hurting for my brother who was 13 at the time and had to spend that day alone with a group of people he didn't know--away from us. I couldn't imagine the loneliness he must have been experiencing as we walked around freely. Looking back, I think we kept ourselves busy and out of the house that day so that we didn't have time to sit at home and think about how other families were together with each other, celebrating the blessings they had experienced that year. To put it lightly, that year was the hardest year for us as a family and I don't think there were many moments we could look back on and say, "I'm feeling so happy right now and I'm glad..."
So for all you out there that may be having one of those years... I understand completely. It's okay to feel that way. And just know that in time, the joy will come back to light... you will smile a genuine smile. And you will look back years from now and the pain won't be there the same way that it is now. He will take it away and replace it with joy... and that is something to be thankful for.
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