THANKSGIVING

Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite Holidays. As a child I remember the hustle and bustle of my parents and of my uncle and aunt in preparation for the day. The feast of turkey and the numerous side dishes were a gluttons delight. Memories of those joyous occasions will remain with me forever. Eventually my siblings and I married and moved out of Southie to the surrounding suburbs. My sister went further into the State of Maine. We all tried to stay in touch but with growing children and our responsibilities as adults- that wasn’t easy.

 However, there was one day when we all returned as a family to our parents’ home and that of course was Thanksgiving. Our parents continued with the preparations of the meal until they no longer do so physically. But that wasn’t a deterrent. The slack was taken up by everyone and we continued the tradition. I recall when the number of us grew so large that we had tables set up from the front of the house to the back. Adults sat in the more formal dining room and the children at extension tables.

Eventually our parents passed and the annual trek to Southie ended.  We started our own traditions with our own grandchildren. The memories of our annual gatherings in Southie at Thanksgiving have always had a special place in my heart and that is why I consider it one of my favorite holidays.