Growing up I always had a fondness for the Thanksgiving holiday. In elementary school I still remember being chosen as one of the artistic kids to do a huge three foot wide by what seemed like an infinite roll of paper celebrating Thanksgiving. I was so proud that I could draw the Mayflower accurately and the celebrants en masse. It was than that I think it dawned on me that I could draw faster than most other talented kids.
As a teen, it was always a family day for us to get together. In a family where so many people owned or worked in Chinese restaurants, it was the one day of the year where they would shut down (seriously who goes out and orders Chinese food on Thanksgiving?) and we could get together to share a meal.
My mom made a bigger deal of it when her kids were adults as it was precious to her to get people together. People were growing up, getting married, going their separate ways but it was always Thanksgiving that we would get together. And it was the traditional American Thanksgiving complete with all the Norman Rockwell-esque family fixings.
Besides a turkey was cheap and could feed a small army of people. Our family liked to eat but were always budget conscious. And my dad had all the voodoo for making a great tasting juicy bird too. He never relied on thermometers, timers or pop-up gauges. Watching him cook was like watching improvisational jazz happening.
I miss my folks at this time of the year but I will always be thankful for the memories they gave me around this holiday. I will forever be thankful for all that I have. Best wishes to all.
