Interview

Sitting in my grandmother’s living room after yet another wonderful Thanksgiving dinner, my mom, dad and I were able to have a conversation about gathering together as a family to enjoy a traditional meal. Our bellies and hearts both full from a day of great food and great company, I asked them questions about Thanksgiving, ranging from topics such as what their favorite parts are, and what we can learn from it.

            The first thing I wanted to know from my parents was their favorite part about this year’s Thanksgiving.  As we went over the evens of the day, we had to laugh a laugh about was the outcome of this year’s dinner. At around noon, my mom and I were preparing the dinner roles for Thanksgiving at 2:00, when we get a call from my grandma saying she had forgotten to put the turkey in the oven. It was a Thanksgiving tragedy! No turkey, no happiness. So our dinner was delayed until 6:00 pm. I found this pretty fitting, however, considering it is called Thanksgiving dinner, after all. I don’t know how or why this whole “lunchtime-dinner” tradition started. My mom said that she just loved the fact that we were all together as a family; I was down from school, and we had our relatives from out of state there. My dad liked that we were able to do out traditional “Turkey Shoot” that morning. He loves taking my brothers and I shotgun shooting, so the Turkey Shoot is always a fun one with everyone there.

            After hearing these answers I came to the conclusion that neither of them said anything about the actual dinner; both of their favorite things were simply about the family being together. So I asked, “What do you think a purpose of having a big traditional meal is, then?” My mom responded pretty quickly to that one. She brought up the fact of us getting together with her side of the family for a monthly dinner. Is it the dinner that we all really gather for? No, it is the company of the people we are eating with. My dad said that good food is just a good excuse to get everyone there, and to ensure a good time!   

            After talking to my parents and analyzing Thanksgiving myself, I realized that sitting around my grandma’s table this year was a wonderful experience for me. We were blessed to have my Uncle back from Afghanistan, and his family from Arizona, and also my Aunt’s family from Idaho. My step-uncle was also there; a few days previous I learned that he is now going through a rough divorce. However, when we were at that table, almost all of us together, It allowed me to step back and feel the gratitude in the room and all the negativity slip away. Being able to be with family over Thanksgiving truly is a blessing. I will miss that group of people when I leave for Oklahoma. My Thanksgiving will be a lot different next year. But that is the great thing about family. I know that they will all still be thinking about me. I also know that I will foster relationships in Oklahoma that will make me feel like I am still at home.