Coming Home Again
Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays. Not because of the turkey or the desserts or the beautiful table settings we pretend will stay untouched. The real reason is simple. All of my kids come home. That alone feels like a gift. As they get older, their lives pull them in different directions. They have schedules and responsibilities and adventures of their own. So when everyone walks through the front door at the same time, I feel like the world pauses for a moment.
The house instantly comes alive. Doors open and close. Suitcases land wherever they land. Someone always shouts from the kitchen asking who ate the last of something. The fridge becomes a revolving door. It is chaotic and loud and completely perfect. I stand in the middle of it sometimes, just taking it in, grateful for the noise and grateful for the reminder that home is not a place. It is the feeling of all of us under one roof.
Our Perfectly Imperfect Traditions
Every family has traditions. Some are carefully planned. Some are passed down from generation to generation. Ours were born from equal parts enthusiasm, curiosity, and questionable decision making.
One thing we make every year is grilled oysters. They are delicious and they have become the unofficial centerpiece of our Thanksgiving weekend. They also come with their own history. One year, my husband forgot to burp the grill. What happened next could have been featured in a public safety announcement. A giant burst of heat. A flash of fire. And my husband, standing there unharmed but missing his eyebrows. Once we realized he was truly fine, we laughed until we cried. It has become part of our Thanksgiving legend. Every year, as the grill heats up, someone says, Remember the eyebrows? and we all smile because that story is proof that holidays rarely go as planned, and that is exactly what makes them memorable.
Of course, nothing will ever top the onion pie incident. We have a second oven that sits quietly in the corner of the kitchen. It is the oven I only use on holidays. After one Thanksgiving, I slid the onion pie inside and closed the door, thinking I would deal with it later. Then life went on. People left. Kids returned to school. Work got busy. Weeks passed. And suddenly, we had a fruit fly problem that made no sense at all.
One afternoon, I opened the second oven and my stomach turned. The forgotten pie had become something entirely different. Rotten. Crawling with maggots. The kind of sight that makes you question your life choices. The kind of smell you never forget. I stood there mortified, horrified, and very aware that this was no longer a simple oversight. It was a full Thanksgiving mystery finally solved. Today, we tell that story every year because time has transformed it into comedy. It is disgusting and unforgettable and somehow a bonding moment in our family history. A reminder that perfection has never been our goal.
What I Am Grateful For This Year
There are the big things I am grateful for, and they matter deeply. I am grateful that my kids are healthy and happy; I am grateful for the chance to see them growing into themselves, each one finding their own path; I am grateful for the love that fills our home and the comfort of familiar voices around the table.
I am also incredibly excited and grateful for my new book coming out in February. This book has lived in my head and heart for a long time. Writing it pushed me to slow down in ways I was not expecting. It asked me to look back on my own life and notice the moments I might have tucked away; it asked me to reflect on the lessons I have learned and the ones I am still learning; it reminded me that gratitude is not something you feel only when everything is going well. It is something you practice when life feels heavy too. Creating this book has been a gift, and I am grateful for every step of the journey.
Life Moves Fast, Gratitude Slows Us Down
Life moves quickly. Some days it feels like I blink and it is already evening. We move from one responsibility to the next and forget to come up for air. Gratitude is what pulls us out of that autopilot mode. It forces us to pause. It asks us to notice what is steady and good in the middle of the noise.
Thanksgiving does that naturally. It gathers people together and encourages reflection. But it also reminds me how important it is to carry that mindset into regular days. Gratitude is not a once a year activity. It is a daily practice that changes how we see our lives. When we look for good, we find it. When we slow down enough to notice the small things, those small things become the ones we remember years later.
Mindfulness Beyond the Holiday
My own gratitude practice often shows up in the smallest moments. The sound of laughter from the kitchen. The clatter of dishes after dinner. Quiet conversations late at night when the house finally settles. Even the chaos becomes part of the story. Gratitude gives those moments weight. It turns everyday life into something meaningful.
Practicing gratitude throughout the year helps me stay grounded. It prevents me from getting lost in the constant rush. It helps me show up for my family, for my work, and for myself with more presence and more patience.
Holding Space for Others
Thanksgiving is joyful for many, but I also know it is complicated for others. Some people have empty seats at their table this year, some are grieving, some are far from the people they love, some do not have a gathering to attend at all. The holidays can amplify emotions that already feel heavy.
For anyone who is celebrating, I think it is important to hold a little space in our hearts for those who may not be. Gratitude does not mean ignoring the reality of others. It means letting empathy live beside our joy. It means remembering that holidays affect everyone differently, and that kindness matters, especially now.
What Thanksgiving Teaches Me
Thanksgiving has never been perfect in our house. It has been loud and messy and unpredictable. It has included burned eyebrows, ruined pies, and a long list of stories that make us shake our heads in disbelief. But those moments are what make it ours. They are what make us laugh. They are what we talk about year after year because they remind us that the real beauty of family is not in perfection, but in togetherness.
This year, I am thankful for all of it. The chaos. The laughter. The memories we continue to build. The privilege of watching my children grow and return home. The work that inspires me and the people who support me. I am thankful for the reminder that gratitude is always available if we choose to look for it.
Thanksgiving brings us back to what matters most. Presence. Connection. Appreciation. And the understanding that even in a fast moving world, slowing down to notice the good is one of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves.
