When I close my eyes and think about Thanksgiving I smell onions. Every year my mom would start cooking the turkey very early in the morning, and I would smell the sauteed onions for the beginnings of the cornbread stuffing, as I lazy-eyed rose from my bed.
This tradition continued even after I left home, during the years I returned to my parents’ house to celebrate Thanksgiving. I would usually arrive the Wednesday night before and wake up to the same familiar odor, wafting its way down the hall of bedrooms. My own children have been present for the same cooking event and I wonder if it reminds them of Grandma and Grandpas house. Perhaps the memories attached to that specific scent fill their minds like they still do my own.
All morning my mom would mix and bake and baste. Timers would go off every so often. The smells would change as pies finished baking or a casserole came out of the oven. Dad would step in to judge the “doneness” of the turkey and ultimately carve it with his electric knife. The table was covered with a tablecloth patterned with fall leaves, and a cornucopia or fall flowers made the centerpiece. As our family continued to grow, we transitioned to paper goods and filled our plates with as much delicious food as they could hold.
This year will be different as we cook our own Thanksgiving dinner in our house, just the seven of us. In some ways I am looking forward to it, but in most ways I am not. Not because most of the cooking will be left up to me, but because I am a very traditional gal when it comes to holidays. And I adore seeing my family this time of year.
This holiday is usually the one with the least complication and worry. It’s the most relaxing to me, since it is mostly about getting together with your loved ones and sharing in the banquet of gratefulness for food and for the presence of family and/or friends. I am not naive to know it is not always that way for everyone and this year is riddled with complication for so many reasons. Our own extended family agreed to stay in place and not risk anyone’s health. Even though I understand why we cannot all be together, it doesn’t mean I am not sad about it. I feel a little melancholy as this week begins and there are no plans to leave this town or welcome others over our threshold.
On Thanksgiving morning I will saute the onions, the kids will wake to the smell and come down the stairs asking when dinner will be ready. They will probably also ask what all we are having, even though I have told them a few times already. Even though this year has been one of difficulty and extra challenges, we are still grateful for our family, our home and the love that surrounds us. We will still enjoy our meal and our day and be thankful for our health. I hope and pray to be with our loved ones again next year and that we all have the best Thanksgiving this year can bring.