Thanksgiving

So I've been terribly slack in writing recently. It's been quite a busy few weeks and I feel like I haven't had time to sit down and reflect very much, never mind getting the time to actually write.
I suppose Thanksgiving is good for that sort of thing though. Once you fight your way through the airport check out lines, or crawl your way through traffic to your destination, you can sit back and relax. My father said "I love thanksgiving. All you have to do is eat". There are no prayers. There is no fasting. You don't have to avoid certain foods, or even fight your way to a crowded field to watch fireworks. You just sit back with family and eat. You might watch football. You might sit back and have a beer with that weird uncle who puts you in a corner so he can talk to you about cars and trucks. Or perhaps you have that weird cousin who brings in exotic wines made from "interesting" ingredients. He insists that this particular parsnip wine is the latest craze in all of California. So you take a sip, smile politely and try to gulp down a glass of water before any of the fermented parsnip flavoring lingers in your mouth.
It's all about family.
I remember one or two Thanksgivings in which family wasn't involved. I went to to two Thanksgiving meals in England. A friend of mine was kind enough to make a thanksgiving meal for several of us at the synagogue in Reading. They were replete with bad American beer, pilgrim salt and pepper shakers, and plenty of gentle America bashing.
Another was as a grad student in Madison: I decided to stay here rather than fly home. So, I went to a pot luck and had quite an exotic mix of food and drink. Turkey was involved, but it certainty wasn't traditional.
So, once you've done the traveling, once you've fought the traffic and the crowds. Take a minute to relax. Enjoy the craziness of whomever you are with, and give thanks for the chance to do it.