Who made Thanksgiving special for you?
For me, it was my Aunt Ann, the most graceful hostess I have ever met. Growing up, every Thanksgiving (and Christmas Eve) was spent at my Aunt Ann and Uncle Norman’s house.
The dinner table was set with clear poinsettia glass plates and featured crystal candle holders on top of her intricate lace table cloth. The decorations around the room would be a collection of festive ceramics that she hand painted. Aunt Ann made the fine art of entertaining and preparing large meals look so easy.
Over the years, she slowly stopped entertaining and gifted me her beautiful cut glass serving bowls and glass plate sets that we shared meals on for so many years. She knew how much they meant to me and that I could use them when I began hosting Thanksgiving.
When she came to Thanksgiving 2019, in our new home, she gifted me her Thanksgiving ceramics. It was so special to host her for dinner and to have received such a meaningful gift of something she painted.
This is the first Thanksgiving without her and I can’t tell you how many times I went to call her to ask about one of her recipes. Preparing the food for this holiday was filled with sadness for her absence but also so much gratitude for the fond memories and life lessons she shared with me.
If you’re missing a loved one this holiday season, please know that you are not alone. Cherish the memories you shared and continue to be the things you loved most about them.
Happy Thanksgiving!
