Grubb, Meyer, Mutzner—Thanksgiving Memories …
The men returning from their annual early Thanksgiving morning hunt.
The ladies working intensely around the stove preparing their best dishes for all of us to enjoy.
My brother, cousins, and I playing in the barnyard, building huts in the haymow, or doing our own imaginary hunting in the woods.
The sound of the dinner bell rung by my great-aunt Mary.
All of us kids running into the farmhouse joining hands with the adults and praying our Great-Grandpa’s Grubb’s prayer of Thanksgiving.
Then eating, eating, and more eating.
After partaking in what I always considered the greatest lunch known to mankind—the adults would nap, play cards, or watch football.
My brother, cousins, and I would return to the woods and barnyard as we continued experiencing our favorite day of the year.
As the 2020 holiday season has ever so slowly crept up on me, I find myself missing my dad more than ever. Even though I went through last Thanksgiving without him, this one seems to be more difficult as I’ve been having my fair share of “avalanche of grief” moments that come out of nowhere.
A few days ago, during my morning time with God, I was praying about missing my dad and He nudged me to cook a dish of oyster dressing for Thanksgiving.
Oyster dressing was a popular staple whenever the Grubb’s, Mutzner’s, and Meyer’s shared a meal together. My dad and I both loved oyster dressing.
This Thanksgiving is so very weird and I know I’m not alone when I say that. All of our immediate family members will be celebrating Thanksgiving by themselves.
We will have a Zoom Thanksgiving “roundtable,” but that will barely scratch the surface of what Thanksgiving has always meant to our family.
I shared with Lori my thoughts around cooking a Thanksgiving meal without the family.
Yes, I went from preparing one dish of oyster dressing to thinking that we needed an entire meal. After all, the yummy taste of oyster dressing is dependent upon other foods bringing it to life.
We began prepping for our meal on Tuesday evening and decided to cook the green beans that night.
Upon arising yesterday morning, I smiled at the scent that had dispersed throughout our house.
The scent of green beans percolating in bacon and onions.
When Lori got up I said, “Do you smell that smell?”
She said, “Yes, do you know what it is?”
I said, “Yes, it’s the scent of Thanksgiving.”
She said, “It’s the scent of love.”
I smiled and said, “You’re right.”
Then I sat down and crafted this writing.
God sure made Lori and I do a lot of work in order to remind me that the love of those who aren’t physically present is always forever indelibly etched in our hearts and souls.
Who are you missing this Thanksgiving?
Try cooking their favorite dish while cherishing memories past.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Psalm 118:24, “This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”
P.E.A.C.E.
Jay@EagleLaunch.com
