There’s an old Ray Conniff song that radio stations dust off and play around Christmas time. But if you listen closely to the lyrics, “We Need a Little Christmas” is not necessarily a Christmas song. It talks about all of the happy things associated with the holiday season and the last line tells it all: “We need a little Christmas now!”
This week, we pause to celebrate Thanksgiving and to my way of thinking, it’s about time. The latest submission to this site from the Plainsman staff outlines some of the customs that students and staff look forward to each year. It seems like every family has a slightly different way to celebrate the holiday. Some of us are also fortunate to draw on some memories of the great times we had when we were growing up.
I can remember loading up the car and driving across the river to our aunt’s house in Rock Island. By the time we arrived, the house was warm from the overworked oven and stove and the smells coming from the kitchen were awesome. My cousin and I adjourned to the basement to work up an appetite wrestling and boxing. No matter that I was already a bit bigger than he was. What he lacked in size, he made up for with tricky moves.
My aunt’s house was rather small and as I remember, we had a table for the adults in the dining room and a card table for the younger set in the living room. The main dinner was great, the leftovers were even better.
Fast forward a few decades and thanks to the ever-increasing amount of food and entertaining channels on TV, people playing host to Thanksgiving gatherings this year seem to need some help. There was even a lengthy article in the weekend papers on how to host a successful get-together, complete with planning tips and what to talk about and what not to talk about across the dinner table.
We didn’t have fancy tips to follow when we were growing up. Our grandmothers and aunts would pass along their knowledge to our moms and we would watch closely. Somehow, the turkey magically got to the table at the same time as the tasty side dishes. As I grew into my teens and began go grow an opinion on some world matters, I still knew when to keep those opinions to myself. There were never any punches thrown at our family dinners and very few loud words.
Thanksgiving seems to come at a great time of the year. Many of us who spend a lot of time following local school activities need a rest before the winter sports seasons get into full swing. With most of the stores closed on the holiday, it gives holiday shoppers a chance to catch their breath and map out a strategy before starting to power shop bright and early Friday morning.
While most of us will be looking forward to spending the day with family and friends, we can also give thanks and look forward to the Christmas holiday season even if we are all alone. I remember one Thanksgiving when I was living in Independence and had planned to drive to Davenport for the weekend to see the folks. But Wednesday afternoon, we were hit with an ice storm. It was so bad that the boss drove me home, which was only a few blocks away. First, we stopped at the local grocery store and I picked up one of those pressed turkey roasts and a frozen pie. Somehow I managed to climb my icy outside stairway to my apartment and there I stayed until Monday morning.
Sure, my mom missed seeing me. But she didn’t understand that if you know the difference between solitude and loneliness, quiet times can be a blessing.
After a weekend to recharge the batteries, we can plunge head-on into a busy December, fully refreshed and ready for what lies ahead.
So whether your Thanksgiving plans include a TV dinner and parades and football games on the tube, a gathering of 20 relatives at Grandma’s house or a buffet at an area restaurant, take some time to offer thanks for all the blessings you have received this past year. Look ahead to the upcoming holidays with anticipation, not concern.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving!