Thanksgiving is different for our family this year because we are far from friends and family. I admit that it's been a little bit harder for me to feel the Thanksgiving spirit since France doesn't celebrate Thanksgiving, and I have to work. While our situation has been greatly enhanced by the arrival of some decorations (thanks Mom and Dad) and an amazing food package with stuffing, pumpkin filling, and cranberries (thanks Ben and Christy), I'm still having a hard time getting "in the mood"--as Brooklyn would say.
And so, I'm curious to find out:
What special Thanksgiving traditions do you have that help you cultivate a spirit of gratitude this time of year?
How do you keep thankfulness at the center of your holiday, particularly with the stress of preparing a big meal? I'd love to hear your input.
4 comments:
I think just cooking the foods I grew up with help me remember to be thankful for my family and especially for my mom. We had dinner with Mark's family and we brought my favorites from growing up "a Yankee"...Broccoli Rice Casserole pitted against collard greens...made me thankful I grew up a "Yankee".
Another tradition in my family is Black Friday shopping - for the second year, Mark has joined me for some early morning deals, helping me to start our own family tradition. While I couldn't be with my mom and sister, who were up at 4am shopping for their bargains as well, Mark and I were thankful that we were together and continuing a "Noyes family" traditon, no matter the state! Not sure what the shops in Lyon would think if you were lined up at 4am waiting to "bargain-hunt" the day after a holiday...it might raise more than a few eyebrows!
I'm terribly grateful that my in-laws cook Thanksgiving dinner, and I just have to show up with a dish and moderately clean children. I was reminded of how thankful I am for this after reading about your Thanksgiving dinner :)
I'm terribly grateful that my in-laws cook Thanksgiving dinner, and I just have to show up with a dish and moderately clean children. I was reminded of how thankful I am for this after reading about your Thanksgiving dinner :)
Kara, I know it is after the fact but I am just now catching up on your blog. One thing I personally do at Thanksgiving is reflect back over the past year and write a letter of thanks to a couple of people who have made a difference in my life during that time. I've done this for several years and have them saved in a "special" folder. It is interesting to look back on who and what I have been thankful for in the past. Just my personal Thanksgiving tradition.
Post a Comment