Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday; we have always pulled it off well, and developed some great traditions.
Back in the Barker days it was good food and good fights; 2nd cousins smoking cigarettes and the dream that one day, Meem and Bup would get that derelict jacuzzi running. Whether it was at our house with Mom somehow pulling 11 pies, 2 turkeys, and all the fixin's (goooooooooood eatin') out of one oven, or the same spread of food and music DVDs at Uncle Keith's, it was always a great time...REAL family.
Later on as we grew older and the family started to fragment, Thanksgiving was a moment of hope for us all...one last stab at a 'normal' family. I was coming home, full of fight (fight for family, not with)...then leaving with an overwhelming sense of flight. These times were rough, but the dinner was always 'safe ground' where everything was alright.
Now that we are in the early adult stage, the holiday has changed quite a bit. We still eat copious amounts of food all day, watch tv, enjoy the cool fall air; but the guests are a delightful assortment of new family, old friends, new friends, co-workers and neighbors to metion a few. There were over 20 people last year at Liz's place on Hopkins!
While everybody is now in there respective part of the world, we are looking forward to yet another wonderful Thanksgiving. We will fill our table (at Chili's! HA!) with good people, eat good food, and as always, go around the table and say what we are thankful for.
As for the rest of the family, Liz and DK will be joining the Olden's for their dinner; Dad, Mary, Joe, Missy, Nate, Brent, and Brittany will have dinner in Michigan; and Andy will be with his friend James and the rest of the crew in St. Croix (No turkey, just rum).
We are spread all over, but we still have all the necessary elements: Good food, people you trust & love and a strong appreciation for all that we have.
2 comments:
Stop making me cry you jerk!!!
This was beautiful and so full or roots and history :) Miss you guys... we have some videos coming your way!
Those Barker times were good ones. Lots of action and a cornucopia of emotions. We do have an interesting foundation for these traditions. Mine go back to the Thanksgivings of my childhood. We have so many times ahead of us. I can see us at a Thanksgiving table with grandkids acting up from too much pie plus Uncle Andy is getting them all riled up again. No wait, It's Grandapa. Imaging the stories from the road and our lives. We're writers and communicators so these formats will be filled with our lives to share and help keep up. Living apart will present opportunities to visit. I spent (and spend) more real, meaningfull time with my parents and now my Mom than I would if I lived there. Next stop for me is St. Croix very possibly for New Years. Then Kuala Limpur. So Dave and Kim, here's to a wonderfull Thanksgiving and all the Blessings in store for you. What you're doing is magic.
Love Dad & Mary
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