As seen in the November issue of:
"Thanksgiving will soon be upon us. To me, “Turkey Day” seems to be the kick off to the holiday season. It gets us primed for all those traditions that we celebrate from year to year. I’ll bet you’ll agree with me that the traditions shared from generation to generation are hugely important to “life at home”.
Thanksgiving has always been a favorite time for me. Growing up, my family Thanksgivings were full of tradition, but they were not at all traditional. Instead of a well-appointed table, set with china and turkey-carving silver, my family gathered in the woods for an extensive and well-planned Thanksgiving picnic. Year after year, we took to the woods and spent the whole day cooking, visiting, feasting, and just hanging out, enjoying our surroundings and one another. I have many great memories of us children traipsing off through the woods on a mission to wear out the “swinging tree”. And there could be no more consistent tradition than my grandfather’s barbequed ribs on Thanksgiving day. I know, turkey is tradition right? But I’ll tell you, after you’ve had my Papa’s ribs, you might trade them in for turkey too! And for as long as I can remember, our feasts have also included perfectly cooked swamp cabbage. I’ll bet that many of you will agree with me when I say that the Southern delicacy of swamp cabbage is a tradition in itself.
You know, Thanksgiving is traditionally a time to focus on the blessings in our lives. Since the first Thanksgiving, it’s been a time to celebrate and give thanks for the harvest. My husband and I were chatting about historical Thanksgivings and marveling at the picture of family and friends gathering to share their crops and give thanks. He threw out a question that I’ve been chewing on ever since he posed it. He said, “What did we harvest this year?” Though we’re carefully tending a vegetable garden as I write this article, I don’t think he was referring to our “harvest” in terms of veggies. As I’ve thought on his question, and counted God’s blessings on our family this last year, I’ve realized that the “harvest” is quite plentiful. It’s not necessarily a monetary or measurable crop, but considering the health of our loved ones, and the abundance of love in our families, we’ve definitely had a harvest overflowing!
This last year might have been a tough season for you and your family. The harvest might not appear to be as abundant as in years’ past. But if you count your blessings one by one, and take a second gander at your harvest, it might prove to be richer than first thought.
This Thanksgiving, more than ever, I want to be sure that my little family enters into the holiday season with a thankful heart. I’m striving for us to see the bounty in our harvest, no matter the circumstance. Having a heart softened with thankfulness is a tradition definitely worth passing on. And probably Papa’s recipe for ribs too. ☺"
Thanksgiving has always been a favorite time for me. Growing up, my family Thanksgivings were full of tradition, but they were not at all traditional. Instead of a well-appointed table, set with china and turkey-carving silver, my family gathered in the woods for an extensive and well-planned Thanksgiving picnic. Year after year, we took to the woods and spent the whole day cooking, visiting, feasting, and just hanging out, enjoying our surroundings and one another. I have many great memories of us children traipsing off through the woods on a mission to wear out the “swinging tree”. And there could be no more consistent tradition than my grandfather’s barbequed ribs on Thanksgiving day. I know, turkey is tradition right? But I’ll tell you, after you’ve had my Papa’s ribs, you might trade them in for turkey too! And for as long as I can remember, our feasts have also included perfectly cooked swamp cabbage. I’ll bet that many of you will agree with me when I say that the Southern delicacy of swamp cabbage is a tradition in itself.
You know, Thanksgiving is traditionally a time to focus on the blessings in our lives. Since the first Thanksgiving, it’s been a time to celebrate and give thanks for the harvest. My husband and I were chatting about historical Thanksgivings and marveling at the picture of family and friends gathering to share their crops and give thanks. He threw out a question that I’ve been chewing on ever since he posed it. He said, “What did we harvest this year?” Though we’re carefully tending a vegetable garden as I write this article, I don’t think he was referring to our “harvest” in terms of veggies. As I’ve thought on his question, and counted God’s blessings on our family this last year, I’ve realized that the “harvest” is quite plentiful. It’s not necessarily a monetary or measurable crop, but considering the health of our loved ones, and the abundance of love in our families, we’ve definitely had a harvest overflowing!
This last year might have been a tough season for you and your family. The harvest might not appear to be as abundant as in years’ past. But if you count your blessings one by one, and take a second gander at your harvest, it might prove to be richer than first thought.
This Thanksgiving, more than ever, I want to be sure that my little family enters into the holiday season with a thankful heart. I’m striving for us to see the bounty in our harvest, no matter the circumstance. Having a heart softened with thankfulness is a tradition definitely worth passing on. And probably Papa’s recipe for ribs too. ☺"
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