Let's Talk Turkey

I think we were sorting through mounds of kitchen stuff or packing random boxes or doing something half-way productive as we cleaned out Mom's house a few weeks ago.  My sister looked at me and asked, 'What are you doing for Thanksgiving?'

I shrugged and said, 'I dunno.'

And with that, we resumed our work in getting the house ready to sell.

And with Thanksgiving two weeks away, I still don't have the vaguest idea.  Maybe this is the first time a carefully planned and orchestrated holiday is just not going to happen.  On a good year, if we were hosting the festivities, the biggest turkey I could hunt down would already be gently resting in the freezer, groceries bought and tucked into the cupboards, and we'd be jotting down who'd bring what for the big day.

Who knows if we'll get in to see Mom?  I've only seen her three times since October 1st.

Who has the energy to pull off a festive holiday meal for a million people?  Not me.

When will we get to spend time with our girls {and their guys} and our grandchildren seeing that they live in states we're shut off from?  Who has the vaguest idea?

And how is it possible for our oldest granddaughter to be half a world away in Lebanon when we can't get into the nursing home that's 20 minutes away ... or venture off to Connecticut or Maryland without a major upheaval?

Who knows.

Bottom line?

It's ok to have no answers.  It's ok to hold our expectations in open hands.  It's ok to do something completely different.  Or {gasp} nothing at all!

Maybe this is the year to be courageous enough to shake things up a bit and temporarily put aside any former traditions that would feel forced or uncomfortable, exhausting or just plain inappropriate for where our tender hearts find themselves.

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For what matters most is not what the menu holds for November 26th.  More than ever, it's where our hearts are focused.  Are they centered on all that's gone wrong or that's out of kilter or that no longer exists?

Or is it on gratitude.  Embracing it.  Speaking it.  Living it out.  First in our own souls and then in conversations with whoever God brings on our paths.

Five Thanksgivings ago, our very tradition-minded family built a great big fire and whipped up s'mores outside in frigid conditions, complete with billowing smoke, wool blankets, lots of laughter, and mugs of steaming coffee.

Why?

Because it was the right choice to make after months of unspeakable loss.

You can read the story here.  

I'd love to chat about what you've done to navigate through difficult holidays.  Your updated traditions, your out-of-the-box brainstorms, your creative choices for gathering, feasting, celebrating, serving.  Or simply being quiet and still in the presence of the Lord.

And if this has been a rough year, let's talk.  You're in good company around here.  

Linda 

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stepping on into the holidays with Lisa & Jeanne