The Family Table

I'm sitting here this morning with a stack of cookbooks beside me, the planning of Thanksgiving is on my mind. I love every part of the holiday from the planning, to the gathering and especially the cooking. In our family it's a time to follow tradition, we have Daddy's dressing, Grandma's pies and Mom's hot rolls. But there's plenty of room for new recipes. I keep my eyes and ears open all year long for dishes that are special... i.e. loaded with calories! Really the most important part of the meal is the gathering of family. Ours has changed a lot over the last few years, time has a way of doing that. The memories of holidays past are in my heart though when we do sit down to eat. In chairs unseen are parents, aunts and uncles who formed me, made me who I am and who they hoped I would be. They wanted me to have a sense of family, a belonging to someone. I got it, and now it's my job to pass that along to our grandkids. Knowing that they are loved and cherished, accepting our many shortcomings and faults. Every family has it's issues, often unresolved relationships or power struggles going all the way back to childhood. Painful or not we gather and count our blessings, one by one.