Giving Thanks

Thanksgiving has been, thankfully, always quite an enjoyable holiday for me. Th idyllic silver-set table and hordes of laughing red-cheeked guests has always been the reality around my household, sometimes with strangers, but usually with family. This year all the kids and cousins were reeled in from their respective colleges, my mothers brother and sister flew into town and my Grandparents were shuttled in from the countryside. Though at one point Thanksgiving had been that mawkish rite of, "I'm Thankful for...", its hardly avoidable with Grandparents and their mushy sentimentality, it has evolved much as I've gotten older. Instead of my childish knees knocking against one another from helpless anticipation of a steaming mound of Smarshed-taters with gravy all around, I find myself casually making small talk with my far flung relatives. The meal has become more of an afterthought. Dinnertime manners have forced me to forsake my mastery of the mashed potato volcano in lieu of more appropriate means of entertainment. One thing that marked this year by degrees was the abundance of spirits. Nearly all of my cousins are of age and all of the adults partook heavily as well, I hate to put it so bluntly but I've never seen so few people polish off so many drinks. With the drinks came a liberty of spirit, apprehensions about having to see these near strangers melted away, conversation became easy and a merry Thanksgiving was had by all. It was a good year, I doubt I'll see any a whole lot better.