Thanksgiving Reflections: Cherishing Tradition

Thanksgiving is a quintessentially American holiday representing historical tradition, as well as, individual tradition. Though rooted in history, and reflecting in its general meaning a spirit of fellowship and solidarity, Thanksgiving has evolved into a multi-faceted composite picture of American culture in which diverse traditions are both separate strands and integral components of a single fabric of Thanksgiving observance. Families and friends arrive every year to celebrate this event as autumn turns the entire Northern Arizona into beautiful colors. It is a time that calls everyone back to the basics: family and good old feelings associated with childhood memories and traditions. it’s not solely to gorge for it enshrines the goals of Thanksgiving as well as togetherness and kinship. Subliminally, there is awareness of history, acceptance of the present, and hope for the future in this celebration. It’s a day where differences are set aside and the focus is on what truly matters: closeness and to count our blessings. (We hope!)

A Thanksgiving Tradition

Thanksgiving is such a perfect storm of eating whereby each person’s favorite plate gets its due. Starting from the scrumptious golden turkeys with crispy skin to the moist, buttery mashed potato each is a narrative, a legend, or even a memory. Some are eagerly waiting for that suitable cranberry sauce after a turkey dish while others are eager for that herbal stuffing. Every bite has all sorts of tastes and forms the food comes in. These foods are the delight of the holiday; whether it’s green bean casserole that has been cooked and served for generations, or the apple pie with a slice of sharp cheddar cheese that brings the best of the entire meal. It is one of the rare days when everybody leaves diets behind and everybody’s personal preferences are taken into consideration when preparing this table and the result is as colorful as the people who sit and enjoy it. 

From Our Table to Yours

This now brings us to my favorite Thanksgiving food, a dish that holds a special place in my heart: the curried baked fruit my grandmother used to prepare. May she finally rest in peace; Gammy Muckley cooked the tastiest, baked curry fruit any man could ever wish for. Her combination was always surprising, and she used pineapple, pears, and cherries most of the time including them in an incredible mix. The flavors of curry were tamed so magically with the sweetness in the fruit to create such a mouth-wateringly delicious dish. If it were in the oven cooking to a crisp, the smell would fill the house and would in fact become as much a part of the Thanksgiving ritual as the turkey. It also became not only a result of Gammy’s mastery of cooking but also the taste of childhood which every subsequent Thanksgiving dyed with affection.

Gratitude and Togetherness

When we sit down at the Thanksgiving table surrounded by family and friends and beautiful food, we are reminded of what this uniquely American meal is all about. Thanksgiving is not just a day of overindulgence but a day when we bask in the bounty of the good things that God has given us, appreciate our friends, and family, and give honor to our beloved dead whose sacrifice makes them unforgettable. It is time to celebrate the diverse experience that each of us brings as citizens of this great nation and our progress as a union. Through practices such as having curried fruit like Gammy taught us, it is tradition that goes beyond the food we eat but the lessons of our dearest that come with those foods. It stays alive in the content of jokes we crack, jokes that narrate, jokes that surround each meal we take and in the bonds that are woven tighter. On this Thanksgiving Day, let us be grateful, not alone for bonding, and happy moments but for the past, the present, and the future ahead of us. In this celebration, we are given a tangible warmth, thankfulness, and grace that speaks to the journey of life. I hope you all have an amazing Thanksgiving someone said the Lyons family wishes your family well.

Thus, Thanksgiving goes beyond an opportunity to feast our hearts out, but a holiday of togetherness, and gratefulness for all the blessings of our lives. If we are relishing the dishes inherited from our forefathers, or inventing a new recipe all together, making of every Thanksgiving memorable is a chance to pay respect to the previous generations and to learn and adopt the culture of togetherness.

A Thanksgiving Full of Memories and Blessings

As families sit together round tables that offer house and home, we rejoice that the gathering is being made beautiful by hearty laughter intermingled with memorable stories that make us appreciate the power of family and friendship. We are thankful for what is on the table before us but also for what is in our hearts: friends and family, knowledge, and embrace. As in these moments, we are presented again and again how privileged one is to feel comfortable with logging and treasuring the everydayness of being together, from the smell of the wafting food to the sounds of familiar voices.

On this Thanksgiving Day, we should take forward spirits of thankfulness for all the opportunities and difficult stages that come in life. May we love our families and cherish the knowledge which we received from those dear to us, may we be happy with each other to open the new day with joy. Our Thanksgiving message to you is simple: may your table be adorned with family and friends, laughter, and good cheer, and may your hearts be consoled by memories that blanket you with warmth of praise and thankfulness. Thank you for this holiday and also for every other gift that comes into our lives endlessly.