UNITED STATES—I had a great Thanksgiving 2021. In 2020, my family kept it very small because COVID-19 was simply out of control. This year was different. What was supposed to be a small Thanksgiving gathering turned into something big where more people arrived, more food was available and more family bonding transpired?
I expected the gathering to be small, but I must be honest I was happy with the outcome. I saw family I hadn’t seen in months, some who I hadn’t seen in years. For starters, I saw my oldest sister, who I have spoken to, but have NOT seen in person for 1 year. It was great; COVID-19 totally caused all types of shenanigans and prevents interactions that would have transpired if not for that deadly virus.
The food, oh, it was glorious. Greens, green beans, corned beef, ham, candied yams, macaroni and cheese, appetizers, pies, cakes; it was an absolute feast. The day before I had to work and my schedule was just so chaotic. I mean I didn’t get home till super late than I was busy preparing dressing for the family, cooking candied yams and preparing a sweet potato pie. To say that I was up late at night would be an understatement. Tired? Without a doubt, but at the same time it was worth it. We laughed, we joked, we played games, we chatted about the past, talked about the future and there were indeed a few touchy subjects tackled as well.
Yeah, that is the thing that happens whenever you have family gatherings: there is always a topic that comes to the table that leaves you cringing or wishing you could just exit the room as soon as possible. That happened to me and a few members in the family where a few loud voices and boisterous arguments came to the limelight. I was so ecstatic to see how grown up my nieces and nephews are considering they were just little tots a few years ago. It just tells you that time does indeed fly when you least expect it people.
We were having such a good time that we did not leave till nearly 11 p.m. That did not make me happy, but at the same time, the time you spend with family is an opportunity to build memories. Those memories can last a lifetime people. So it was worth it, even if I had to turn around and be at work bright and early the next morning America.
With such a success for Thanksgiving, talk soon turned to who would be hosting Christmas dinner. A person and a place hasn’t been chosen just yet, but you better believe the conversations were had and in the next week or two I’m certain as a family we will come to a decision as to who should host the festivities.
Written By Jason Jones
