As the youngest of five kids by a whopping nine years…
(Hey, who are you calling an accident?!) I have thus far managed to be spared Thanksgiving hosting duties. And since our family is typically traveling several hours to the feast, I usually don’t even have to bring a dish, instead getting assignments like Ukrop’s White House Rolls and wine. For this, I am thankful!
In fact, I am thankful for many things, and this month, I’m setting out to remind myself and my family just how much we have to be grateful for. In no certain order, my list includes: my husband and kids; our collective health and happiness; the roof over our heads; my parents and siblings; our friends; my wonderful RFM team; our fabulous readers; the advertisers who make RFM possible; my son’s first grade teacher (yes, she’s THAT good); family stay-home days; the end of campaign ads; and Deluca Gelato (in Gayton Crossing… heaven in your mouth – trust me!).
As the holiday season approaches, it’s important to instill a sense of gratitude in kids. Remind them that even as the “galloping greedy gimmies,” as the Berenstain Bears like to call them, take over, and their Christmas wish lists grow faster than Pinocchio’s nose, they have much for which to be thankful and anything else is really just icing on the cake. This might be a tough sell, but I’m going to give it my best shot, and in the process, try to show my kids just how blessed they are.
Part of the lesson will include having them grab their outgrown coats and taking them over to Puritan Cleaners this month for their annual Coats For Kids campaign. I will explain that some kids can’t afford a coat of their own, and it is our civic duty to help those less fortunate as often as possible. I hope you join us and donate some coats from your home. All coats are accepted, but kids’ coats in particular are especially needed. Information is up at puritancleaners.com or you can check out their Facebook page.
What are your Thanksgiving traditions? Let me know! I loved reading about Karen’s tree of thanks on page ten. In my world, our annual friends’ Thanksgiving, held the Sunday before the real deal, is marking its twenty year anniversary, and it’s one of my favorite traditions. It began when we were all kid-free, and over the years, it has grown to a joy-filled, noise-filled celebration of long-lasting friendship that has truly stood the test of time. I remember how we each used to say something for which we were thankful. Today, we’ve passed those speeches along to the kids, which definitely makes for a more interesting list – with everything from “my iPhone” to “my baby brother” getting mentioned around the table. For more on the topic of gratitude, and lots of other wonderful insights, be sure to check out Maya Smart’s “Real Mom” contribution on page 18.
Here’s hoping you and your family have plenty of things to be thankful for this year! From all of us at RFM, we wish you a turkey-filled, gratitude-filled, happy and memorable Thanksgiving!
