When I was growing up Thanksgiving was a major event filled with immediate family; relatives you only saw once a year (and that was sometimes something to be thankful for); friends; and family pets wandering around getting under foot all day. As we got older and had our own kids, Thanksgiving became more complicated. Who do we visit for Thanksgiving and who do we see for Christmas was a common question that sometimes ended in squabbles between couples. But no matter if you came for dinner or came later for dessert...it was always an event.
I've always heard it's a traditional thing to have the man of the family slice the turkey. Dad never did. He didn't cook at all and I suppose in both my parents minds all things relating to food were Mom's territory. Mom sliced the bird every year. And now that I really think about it...how weird would it have been to see my Dad slice the bird?!
Mom loved to cook and we loved to eat. Unfortunately the meal always ended with clearing the table and doing the dishes. Such an exhausting day! And because my parents were pretty much sexist (back when nobody used the term or even cared what it meant) all the cleaning up was done by the girls while the 'men folk' headed for the couch; the recliner; a beer and the tv set. It wasn't long before they would fall asleep wherever they were lounging. At first I envied them, eventually I grew to resent it and now I just refuse to do it.
My Thanksgiving now is nothing like those days. I currently don't have the use of my dining room because of the dog pens being in that room. So since I got the girls I haven't had the big meal at my house. I've had it at other houses....I've even prepared it at my house and brought it elsewhere...but it hasn't been at my house.
And although I miss the old traditions from my childhood I'm content right now to order Chinese food and relax instead of going crazy to make a big meal and then taking hours to clean it all up. Frankly, I'm thankful for the break from the responsibility of it all and this time I went shopping instead of passing out in front of the tv. There were no crowds (like there will be on black Friday tomorrow); no traffic and I didn't have to elbow anyone at all to get the items I wanted. A good day for me and an even better day for the turkey that never came to my table! :)
