Gathering ‘Round for Thanksgiving

There are holidays, and then there is Thanksgiving. It’s the MVP of holidays because it’s got everything you need. A delicious mandate to eat well, nap hard, and enjoy the beautiful chaos of family. And don’t forget, the Thanksgiving concert!

I really love the smell of a roasting turkey and having the noise of a football game in the background (even if no one is actually watching it). Catching up with the family in conversations punctuated by the clinking of silverware makes everything really cozy.

The Grandparent Perk: A Little Music Lesson

Now, if you want to dial the “cozy factor” up even more, just add a grandparent and a grandchild with a slightly-too-large instrument case.

For the grandkids, Thanksgiving is the big, low-stakes stage. They’ve been practicing and they know, deep down, that their audience (Grandma and Grandpa) is guaranteed to be wildly enthusiastic.

• The Performance: A small rug-side concert. It’s usually with a little bit of thumping strings, maybe the tuning is a bit off, and definitely involves a few false starts. But to have the opportunity to watch the talent grow is so amazing!
• The Audience: Grandma and Grandpa lean in, absolutely beaming. They’re not grading the performance, they’re just getting a private screening of their favorite kids growing up right before their eyes. The whole thing lasts maybe 90 seconds, followed by a thunderous, “Bravo! That was wonderful! You get another piece of pie!”

These moments are really what life is about. The kids feel proud for showing off a new skill, and the grandparents get that pure, unadulterated heart-squeeze that only comes from watching a tiny human make an earnest attempt at something grand.

The True Spirit of the Day

That’s the real magic of Thanksgiving. It’s all about the warmth, food, and just having fun. And if you’re at my house, it even includes the lumpy mashed potatoes and some slightly scorched rolls.

It’s relaxed, and for 24 hours, the only thing is to be thankful for the people around the table—especially the ones who just gave you a private recital on their guitar.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!