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Turkey Day is almost upon us

By Lindsay Slater
The Times-Journal

Published November 21, 2009

Ah, it’s that time of year to break out the turkey and dressing and gorge myself.

Thanksgiving is perhaps my second favorite holiday behind Halloween.

I love getting together with my family, even though there aren’t many of us left.

When I was younger, we had three Thanks-giving dinners. Aunt Sue would cook a big ol’ meal that we would eat on Thanksgiving morning. That evening, we would head to Great-Grandmama Agnes’s house for Thanksgiving dinner. The next day, we would eat at my other grandparents’, Bill and Virginia Slater.

There was always just so much food, and it was good, made-from-scratch and made with tons of love kind of food.

I would eat myself into oblivion and a Tryptophan dreams.

I often wondered when I was younger why everyone took naps after eating Thanksgiving dinner. That turkey will put you to sleep.

Actually, I still eat myself into oblivion. I would gather to think everyone does. It’s hard to pass up great food.

Now, I’m older and Thanksgiving has taken on a new meaning for me. It’s not just about the food and thinking Christmas is just around the corner.

Aunt Sue and R.C. are gone. Great-grandmama Agnes and Charlie are ,too. All four of my grandparents have went home. And my Dad. He’s hanging out in heaven with the rest of them.

It’s a time for me to reflect on all the loved ones who have gone before us to remember the things they left behind in love and wisdom.

They remind me of simplicity. None of them ever had a ton of money, and they didn’t want it. They spent in Fort Payne and loved every minute of it.

I’m thankful to be alive for another day. I’m thankful when I’m given another day with the people who I love, as I’ve come to understand that life is sweeping like the wind.

I’m thankful for the troops who will spend Thanksgiving fighting for me, my family, friends and neighbors instead of gathering around the table.

I’m thankful for my colleagues and their wisdom and endless support.

The list could go on forever.

As you gather around the table on Thanksgiving to eat, drink and be merry, take a moment to look around and realize all of your blessings are right in front of you.

I’m not talking about that turkey, either.

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The Fort Payne Times-Journal | Publisher: J.D. Davidson

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