Giving thanks, for the little things

Thanksgiving has always been a holiday that I have looked forward to.

As a child, I recall waking up to the delectable smells of a turkey in the oven, stuffing in the crock pot and my mom’s homemade apple and pumpkin pies. I still think that Thanksgiving Day at my house, where I grew up in PA was the best. I miss waking up to those scrumptious smells and coming down the stairs to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade on t.v. The sound of my brothers cheering on their favorite football teams and my nieces and nephews running around the house. When the evening rolled around, some would be napping and some would be heading out to the kitchen for leftovers.

I have lived away from home for almost 12 years now and have experienced many other Thanksgiving celebrations. Eric and I have hosted Thanksgiving at our house (I could never do as good a job as my mom preparing this feast). We also dined out one particular Thanksgiving. Not in “A Christmas Story” style – there were no “Fa ra ra ra ra’s” or anything like that.

No matter where I spend my Thanksgiving holiday, I will always remember why it’s such a special day. It’s a day that families come together, near and far. Doesn’t matter if I can make a mean turkey gravy like my mom can or not. What matters is that I’m spending it with people that I care about and I am thankful for that.

Our goal, as parents, is to make sure that our kids are cared for and taught to be thankful for the little things. We want them to grow up with a sense of family and with the importance of spending time together.

I can only hope that one day our kids will wake up on Thanksgiving morning, just like I did, to the same delicious smells coming from the kitchen. I’m getting hungry right now just thinking about it.