Thanksgiving is a time where family and friends get together to gorge out on food. Usually in my house, its just me and my immediate family getting together. But, one of my favorite Thanksgiving memories happened about four years ago. Earlier that year I had started going to a church in my neighborhood and I got really plugged into their young adults group. Every other Friday, they had a girls bible study. I became friends with all of them, and I was happy because I finally found some decent friends. So, at the beginning of the month, I got a crazy idea: have a potluck dinner at my house and invite all the girls. All 20-plus girls fit into my parents 4 bedroom, 2 story, middle class suburban home which has never seated (or was built to seat) 20 people in one room at once to eat a meal together.
I bought the turkey, all 25 pounds of it. Mind you, this was the first turkey I was making on my own, and during my then 23 years on the earth, never once watched my dad prepare the turkey. And, being cheap, I bought a cheap pan. Needless to say, there was turkey grease in my oven and I was out more money to buy another pan. I was cursing the dollar store pan, especially when I was strolling into the supermarket fighting with the lines. Then my friends started coming. And coming with all with their food. I don’t think I've ever seen that many pies in my life. The kitchen was getting over run with food, and it was starting to spill over into our dining room, which was already jam packed. The table that we had in our kitchen disappeared into the dinning room in between our dining room table with 3 folding tables being circled by a hodgepodge of chairs which even included heavy metal patio chairs. The food was great, and the turkey turned out well, despite me being overthrown of carving duty (being Italian and talking with both my mouth AND my hands- with a hug knife- not a good combo).
The best was when we were all able to sit around and actually tell each other what we were thankful for that year. It was more that just the food (which is a GREAT bonus), but it was more to see all of the good that was happening in our lives - to actually think of what we are thankful for. And at the end of the night, all 25 pounds of turkey were devoured, we had minimum left overs, I had plenty of help cleaning up, and I had proof that more than 20 girls can get together for a night and get along. I had a few get-togethers at my house since then. I've had barbecues, Christmas parties, and random get-togethers, but something about shoving all those people in one room makes people still talk. Even this weekend, my friends and I were talking about it when we got together and drug in furniture from my backyard. I know for some people this will be the norm today, and if that is the case, that is absolutely wonderful- and I mean that. There is something about surrounding yourself with people that you care about and being thankful for what you have. So no matter how many people you are meeting with, and even if you are sitting in lawn furniture in your dining room, try and make a memory of it. It’ll be worth it when you are still talking about it in years to come.
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