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Après Thanksgiving

When I think of Thanksgiving, yes of course I think of Thanksgiving dinner. We are a small family so we end up with lots of leftover food even though we have greatly streamlined side dishes and desserts.

But what I LOVE more about Thanksgiving is the day after. I allow the Christmas spirit in, in full force. My family knows that I will be up early. My family knows that I will have my boxes and boxes of Christmas stuff lined-up and ready to go. My family knows that our fresh tree will have been delivered and that it will have been named. The name always starts with a “C”.

I thank the tree for being part of our lives. I thank it for leaving its forest. I think of maybe how it should still be there. I think of how we all have a destiny and how we must fulfill it. I think of the beautiful fairytale about a Christmas Tree by Hans Christian Andersen…and after my ritual of thanks, I set off to work.

First: lights on the tree. Lots of lights on the tree. Start at the top. Takes me a couple of hours. Then around eleven thirty…the next ritual takes place. Cold turkey sandwiches on white bread with mayonnaise, salt & pepper (there are those who put stuffing in their sandwich too…) and I get my beautifully prepared martini as a prize for finishing the lights… thanks Bill.

The entire day is spent going from room to room. Adding touches of Christmas everywhere. At the end of the day, I am exhausted. I am happy. I feel young. I feel the sense of wonder that children seem to have about them. And I am thankful.