As the calendar hits November, the air gets a bit more crisp (or at least a Floridian can wish!). We all begin to make plans for the holidays; I’ve had the opportunity to reflect upon what Thanksgiving has meant to me and the evolution of those traditions evolving from the kiddie table to the dining table to now my own table.
As I had the opportunity to do so, I was struck by an interesting question: What makes the perfect Thanksgiving?
Before I offer my two cents on the matter, I thought it would be interesting to see what the new-fangled technology of artificial intelligence has to offer on the topic:
“A perfect Thanksgiving blends delicious food, warm company, and a sense of gratitude.”
Man. I’m not sure I can do a lot better than that!
As I reflect on the Thanksgiving celebrations I’ve participated in, I think like so many holidays, it’s about lasting memories.
My family has never had just one Thanksgiving tradition, but I do think about the T.Y. Beanie Baby Turkey my sister and I used to fight over (and my mom probably thought it would be worth a lot of money someday!). I think about the year my dad flew with me to an out-of-state golf tournament, and we ate our Thanksgiving meal at a local Mimi’s Café. I think about the last five or so years that my wife, Emily, and I have had the opportunity to host Thanksgiving in our house, cooking the meals we enjoy and taking home a few cornhole trophies.
As Heraclitus said over 2,000 years ago, the only constant in life is change.
However, as I reflect upon my own memories, I’m struck more by a slightly newer quote by French writer Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr in 1849: “The more things change, the more they stay the same”.
Just as my A.I. companion opined above, I hope your Thanksgiving this year blends delicious food, warm company, a sense of gratitude, and allows you the opportunity to make a few more lasting memories with your loved ones.
P.S. Some fireworks in either the Egg Bowl or the first game between Texas & Texas A&M in 13 years would be okay by me too!
November 2024
