For most of us Americans, Thanksgiving is synonymous with family & food. For better or worse, it’s a time to gather together and eat ourselves into a stupor. Year after year, on the fourth Thursday of November, millions of Americans travel to be with loved ones on the day we have a standing invitation with food. It can also be a day fraught with various difficulties because family—and food—can be downright complicated.
You may have to dodge your mother-in-law’s passive-aggressive barbs about your deviled eggs; after all, she would have used Miracle Whip—not mayonnaise! You may need to act quickly to deftly steer Uncle Bob—bless his heart—away from talking politics at the dinner table. Or maybe you’re feeling anxious due to your sister’s unruly children. Dealing with several different personalities under one roof can certainly be challenging.
Then there are the food woes. First, when planning your meal, there are your guests’ dietary restrictions to take into consideration. Sally has Celiac disease so you must have a couple gluten free options. And Jeff has become vegan. What could you serve him besides cranberry sauce? Next come the inevitable cooking dilemmas. Your gravy is too salty! How long should you bake the turkey? What if it comes out dry? Oh no, the rolls are burned! When you are cooking such a large meal, any number of things can go wrong and something probably will.
Regardless of what the days throws at you, I hope you manage to take it in stride. Take a deep breath before all Hell breaks loose and just try to enjoy the day. After all, today’s burnt rolls are simply tomorrow’s amusing memory. I have spent too many Thanksgivings in the kitchen stressing out about everything being perfect. These past few years, I have quit doing that because it makes my daughter anxious. Instead, I created a schedule and learned to go with the flow. Guess what? The food still tastes just as delicious. The only difference is that I’m actually enjoying the day, and isn’t that the whole point?
And that is my wish for you today—that at the end of the day, you’ve enjoyed yourself. After all, once the desserts have been demolished, the table has been cleared, and the last guest has departed, all that remains besides some leftovers are the memories you have made. And I hope they are good ones. No matter who you are, who you are with, or whether your turkey is dry, I wish you a very happy Thanksgiving day. May your day be filled with good food. May you be surrounded by the people you love. And may the Lions beat the Packers.
