I can remember all of my family congregating at my Granny's house on Thanksgiving.
It was amazing the amount of bodies that were fit into that small house in Mount Sterling KY.
To a young impressionable child, it was BIG and a wonderland full of different toys(all in a whicker basket in her bedroom) and the smell of bread and turkey baking in the kitchen.
It was the time of the year I would finally get to play with my cousins.
That's me with the pained look on my face sitting next to Cousin Anne and my brother Porter. Ray is on the end of the couch.
I rarely see any of them now.
Granny always made time for me and years later taught me how to quilt on a large frame set out in her dining room.
I stayed for days and she helped me finish a quilt I had started. She created a specific memory for me.
Those days are long gone and the family has split up to do their own thing.
My mother started her own tradition of Thanksgiving at her house and we all joined up there until 2 years ago.
I felt she was really taking on too much by cooking and baking EVERYTHING for the meal. She would literally run you out of the kitchen until it all was ready to eat.
Now, I see where I get that take charge attitude! Mom was fearless in the kitchen.
I could see that it was getting to be too much on her. I didn't want her buying everything on her fixed income, cooking and then all that cleaning too. I felt that I needed to step in.
So, I took over the tradition to pay it forward and moved the venue to my house.
The first year did seem a bit awkward, but now it will be the third year. We have found the groove and we all seem to enjoy it.
Also, I get to cook for more people instead of just a few. It's about the only time I see our whole small family except for Christmas where I will do all this again.
I hope this is a memory that the relatives remember me after I am gone and realize all the love and effort I put into it.
For you readers...Take the time to be thankful to those people that step up and make memories for you. One day that's all it will be...just a sweet memory.
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