By this point, I am pretty sure that people are tired of hearing about Thanksgiving 2020 – they have already decorated for Christmas and they are done with leftovers.

I have to say, it was what it wasn’t for me. Furthermore, I feel like I have to write about it.

Read it or don’t. I won’t know either way…

Thanksgiving is probably – surprisingly – weirdly true, but it is one of my least favorite and most stressful holidays. I actually confessed this to my husband the day before Thanksgiving not realizing it was an actual confession.

I just said it to him matter of fact… “you know, this is one of my least favorite holidays.” Not a question, a statement, assuming he knew this already.

He was like, “sure, when you were a kid, but not now, right?”

“No. Now, and then. For real.”

I am sure I’m not the only one. There’s always so much to do. So much cooking, but then, eating in about 22 minutes.

I mean, that’s it. 22 minutes flat, after spending hours and days prepping. It seems completely ridiculous.

However we do it year after year, after year.

Still.

When we don’t do it all, it feels weird. Unnatural. Wrong.

So, we did it all. Again.

Here I am, though reminiscing about how good it was, even with just 7 of the same loved ones who have been at our house for over a dozen prior Thanksgiving dinners. Our family of 5 plus the same two people who have hosted my family, for several other Thanksgivings and when it wasn’t at my grandmothers, hosting me, for all of my life.

My parents.

And this year, after all of the other years, this was the least stressful and the most favorite ever since I can remember.

• It wasn’t because we didn’t have more people at our house. They would have been welcome, and I think it would have been even better.
• It wasn’t because we planned better and everything came out of the oven at the exact same moment and made it to the table hot…because it didn’t.
• It wasn’t because we took most of the items off the menu and made less, because we didn’t. We made all the favorites.

Everything was and at the same time, nothing was different about Thanksgiving 2020. Yet, it was completely unlike any other year. We have no idea what will come next and we are simply more thankful for these days, for each moment that we have together. I am actually looking forward to 2021 and enjoying the holiday even more.

~ Dawn aka Hat Girl

PS My family all chipped in to help, and I don’t just mean with the set up, and the dishes, they cooked, too. Maybe just a little that was the difference, or maybe it was just a lot.