Happy Thanksgiving!

Today is Thanksgiving in Canada. To celebrate, we’re having an “orphan’s Thanksgiving” at our house.

Thanksgiving cornucopiaIt started a number of years ago – we invited a few friends who we know did not have family nearby. Biological family anyway. We became a family of choice.

A few people came to expect it, though, which made it less fun for me. When it was a gift I chose to give, I enjoyed giving it. When it was something that was expected of me, I became resentful. So we took a couple of years off, and spent Thanksgiving with immediate family only.

We started out this year by inviting a couple of friends, and then a couple of others asked about it. So I decided to open it up to people from our Circle who did not want to be alone.

I got a much bigger response than I bargained for!

At the ATC Mother Church, they do an Orphan’s Thanksgiving in November, for the US Thanksgiving. They have a much bigger space in which to host. I have a fairly small house – only about 1100 sq. ft. There are five of us, and we are often bursting at the seams.

Today, there are going to be at least 10 people in addition to my family, here for dinner. I spent all day yesterday cleaning my house (I think I’ve said before that I am not a very diligent housekeeper). I have tucked things into nooks and crannies trying to make as much space as possible.

I am grateful to have so many friends who want to spend Thanksgiving with us. I am grateful for the roof over our heads, however small, in which to host them. I am grateful for the resources to be able to provide food. I am grateful that it is a beautiful day, and we can use the deck as well as the house!

Wherever you are, I invite you to reflect upon your many blessings. And I wish you a very happy and abundant Thanksgiving!

Blessings,

Mary

2 thoughts on “Happy Thanksgiving!”

  1. Happy thanksgiving, Mary!

    I used to do Orphan’s Thanksgivings and Christmases when I was in college and university. I really want to be able to do it again. Whenever we have a place to call our own where we can actually have people over, I’ll probably start up the tradition again. (I’m thinking, that because we have family celebrations on Canadian Thanksgiving and Christmas, I’ll probably hold an Orphan’s Thanksmas around American Thanksgiving. That way I’ll actually have the spoons to host something b/c it won’t be close to the family things we’re doing, and also it’ll be during a sort of lull in the season that I find can be a really depressing time.)
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