Thanksgiving: Keep it in the Family!
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, as I am an Amazon Associate, this means that I will make a small commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you.
Thanksgiving is such a sweet holiday once you take the extra fluff out of it and look at its intention and its origin. As I mentioned last year I love the fact that it focuses on family and friends and being grateful. There are no presents to give or receive, it is an opportunity for togetherness rather than consumerism. And what is better than being together?
Being together
As a homeschooling mama, I feel that we are together ALL THE TIME! And we are. But we are together in a routine, where things follow a pattern and sometimes, because of the pattern, we just take each other for granted. So when Thanksgiving arrives, even if it is just our family, the pattern is broken and we can spend some time together and actually see the others. Not just go through the motions. This year, with having to work outside the home, I look forward to Thanksgiving more than ever. To have a full day at home, with no one going to work, to just be.
Just to be
We have a few Thanksgiving traditions that we enjoy: going to Mass as a family, definitely having turkey (my husband smokes it and it’s out of this world delicious) and just being together as a family. Often we have a full house with friends and family joining us, other times it is just us. This year, it looks like it will be just us and I am excited about it. Life has been so full and so busy lately that I don’t think we have all been home together for a couple of months at least. I am a homebody and I love just being home with my people. It will be a simple day, doing simple family things and enjoying each others’ company.
Being present
Sometimes it is very hard for a family to just be and spend time together. We all have our to do lists and priorities. Often we have been so busy living our own lives, while “rooming” with everyone else that we have to get re-acquainted with each other. Now that my children are older and have jobs and obligations outside the home, I feel that Thanksgiving should be a sacred day to just spend time as a family. I might even prohibit phones… Just don’t tell them. But really, what would a day without our phones look like? We would have to spend time together and learn to be together again. Which sounds lovely, and hard all at the same time.
Simple family time
Let’s make Thanksgiving family centered. Mass, a nice meal placed on a nicely set table and the people you love best. That’s it. Maybe a few board games and stories, and finish by watching the stupidest movie: Free Birds. It’s really dumb but it gets everybody laughing so hard that it’s worth it. It’s my favorite soundtrack to a family day: laughter.
So this Thanksgiving, keep it in the family! Enjoy some quiet family time (even with other obligations, make the time.)
I wish you a very blessed Thanksgiving!
Love,
Mattie
