Thanksgiving Day

And here we are at Thanksgiving again! I'm anxious about hosting a huge meal, providing the right atmosphere, and remaining calm in the chaos of a multi-generational gathering. I want everyone to feel comfortable and relaxed, not overworked or stressed - including myself.

 

How can I help to make it a great day for everyone and also retain my own contentment?

In order to set this day apart, I will treat it as a Sabbath … no unkind words, no rushing, no work that isn’t thankful work. I choose to stay present, notice everything as if in slow motion, and pause often to observe what I am thankful for in the moment.

Agenda:

1. Thanksgiving Meditation for Peace and Abundance

2. Cook the turkey

3. Honor my pilgrim ancestors and the Wampanoag people

4. Honor the Day of Mourning
5. Give thanks

1. Thanksgiving Meditation for Peace and Abundance:
In order to start the morning right, I began giving thanks before I got out of bed. I plan to stay in a thanksgiving meditation as long as I can ...Take a deep breath and feel deep gratitude for what I have, for the abundance of having a home, a family and friends. I am thankful for the things I usually take for granted. I am thankful that I AM ALIVE.

I give thanks for my warm bed, for my slippers, my dog, my sleeping family, my clean kitchen, and my morning cup of coffee. I pray that my friends and family stay safe and well.

I give thanks for the pies on the table, this lovely turkey, and the abundance of food in the refrigerator. I pray that others find enough food today to feel full and satisfied.

I give thanks for a home of peace, and a town with no riots or bombing. I pray for peace and justice for my brothers and sisters all over the world.

2. Cook the turkey and the stuffing:

We plan to eat at four, and I’m cooking a 22 lb. turkey today, so I need to get a start at about 10:30 this morning. My daughters are bringing pies, potatoes, rolls, and veggies; my son is bringing his signature simple cranberry sauce. We are making turkey, stuffing, gravy, and pies.

The stuffing takes about an hour from start to finish so I'll start it at 2:30, and put it in to bake, with the turkey but not in the turkey. At three I'll set up a big table in the living room for the six adults, and two kids.  I'll make gravy at the last minute, and later, whipped cream and decaf.

With my schedule on my planner, I can relax and flow with the day as it unfolds, which will not be as planned! When things go sideways, which they will, I will take a breath, touch my heart, and remember how blessed I am to have my family around me.

3. Acknowledge the Kalapuya:

A few years ago I wrote about my pilgrim ancestors, Stephen Hopkins and his daughter Constance, from whom my Grandpa Jay Alborn is descended, and wrote a long piece about the myth of the first Thanksgiving. For more information, see my post from Thanksgiving 2022.

This year I've been writing about the Kalapuya, who are indigenous to this Willamette Valley. Today I will read this acknowledgement:

I’d like to acknowledge this area’s first people - the Kalapuya - and their descendants, and recognize that this Willamette Valley is the land upon which they have lived, hunted, and fished for thousands of years. 

The Kalapuya people were dispossessed of their indigenous homeland by the US government between 1851 and 1855, and forcibly removed. Today, descendants are citizens of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Community of Oregon and the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians of Oregon, and continue to make important contributions in their communities.

I’d like to express my gratitude and appreciation to them, and also my sorrow for the genocide and removal, and the ongoing racism and discrimination they have suffered, and note that the myth of the first thanksgiving ignores these darker aspects of the European re-colonization of Turtle Island. 

4. Give thanks:
Thankfulness is a powerful and transforming emotion. I hope to take time to feel each nuance of the day, to feel gratitude for each person present, and for each dish offered; and give thanks for the food, all the way back to its source and all who handled it on the way to our table.

I hope to take the time to connect deeply with the people I am with and appreciate each person’s uniqueness, and I challenge myself to remain calm and centered in the chaos.