Thanksgiving is a day set aside for each of us to
acknowledge and appreciate all of the wonderful things in our lives! But how the hell can a card carrying member
of the “I hate to cook” club possibly be thankful for a holiday that seems to
do that by celebrating cooking! I have always felt like a colossal Turkey Day
failure! Who came up with this lousy plan?
Yes, I know the Pilgrim story, and
to borrow a phrase from Ebenezer Scrooge ….Bah-hum-bug!
Most of my Thanksgivings were absolutely “Norman
Rockwell” traditionally correct….you know the one where I furiously performed
the prescribed Thanksgiving kitchen rituals, all the while knowing that the men
and boys would be much happier with a McDonalds Happy Meal, a beer, a bag of
chips and non-stop football. They would
courteously sit and eat for the minimum time required to be Thanksgiving
correct, straining to hear the football scores between awkward conversations. No one was happy or thankful!
Finally, the past few years we have had the courage
to break tradition, step away from convention, re-define our celebration while
still embracing the true spirit of the holiday….which is to be thankful with
family, to eat and drink until you can barely walk, be creative anywhere but
the kitchen and watch football.
We now say an irreverent but authentic grace that celebrates
our gratitude with a beer over a blooming onion, followed by a steak (or anything
else on the menu), as someone else performs (and might I say…. wonderfully
well) all of the cooking, serving and cleaning duties. We have the most amazing
celebration and enjoyable conversations …..on the day before Thanksgiving!…..I
now spend Thanksgiving Day in the studio celebrating in creative bliss, while
there is uninterrupted beer, football and snacks in the family room…Could
Thanksgiving possibly get any better than this?
This is our delightfully cheeky Thanksgiving and I am in
deed…. truly truly thankful!
"Living in the Moment" Jason Mraz
