Family and Thanksgiving Celebrations

by Nelson Ball
(Cass Lake, MN, USA)

Our family tradition is similar to that of many families.

We gather together for a Thanksgiving meal complete with turkey, the stuffing made with a recipe that was handed to my brother-in-law by my father (who died in 1984),two kinds of cranberry sauce (cooked whole berries and fresh cranberry orange relish), mashed potatoes (the same kind that one of my nephews used to make mountains of only to pour brown gravy on top of and polish off with ease),an assortment of veggies and rolls and, at the end of the meal, an assortment of pies and other desserts.

Prior to digging in, we all pause for a family prayer. We pray for those who are not able to attend the feast, those who care for who are ill or having difficulties, and then we go around the table each thanking God for something.

Even the children join in and come up with their own things to be thankful for. After dinner, one of my nephews, normally wants to play Texas Hold em poker. And he normally wants to challenge me. I am not an expert in the game but have sometimes beat him.

I sometimes let him do so too and at other times there is no letting. He just beats me. As he gets older, that happens more and more. I like our family celebration of Thanksgiving because there is family in it... and of course gratitude and food... What is there not to like?

It has everything one could want.