Sunny River Writings

On the day she moved out and into her very own apartment he said “Always come home for Thanksgiving”. Thanksgiving was his favorite holiday. It was a day the whole family spent together. His family was the most important element in his life. He was married six years during which time they had several miscarriages before they adopted a son and a daughter. These children he loved unconditionally. You could see the joy and pride in his eyes, the way his face lit up when one of them entered the room, or when he talked about his beloved children.

Thanksgiving was special to him because he was truly thankful. Early in the morning his wife would get up, stuff the turkey. It was a big bird so there was always plenty of leftovers. When he woke the special turkey smell was filling the house. The smell of sage and onion and turkey, he liked tradition and the aroma wafting through the house was one of those traditions.

When the big lunch was ready usually around 1pm he was the master of the carving of the bird. In his 45 years of family Thanksgivings he always carved the turkey. No one dared to even suggest that someone else could carve the bird. That would be like dethroning the king. Once he began the carving there were other traditions to this task.

First he removed the stuffing, then the legs and wings. They were carefully set on the side of the large platter. Next he began to carve with the knife he had carefully sharpened an hour earlier. The slices were not random cuts. But strategically planned out. And the cuts were made in the same order for 45 years. They were very thin slices and were placed neatly on the special Thanksgiving platter.

All the white meat placed on one side and all the dark meat on the other. With the first slice his daughter always had the first nibble to make sure the turkey tasted just right. As his daughter grew up and gave him grandchildren it was his daughter who always had the first nibble, then whomever came into the kitchen during the turkey carving could get a taste of the perfectly roasted bird.

Today he is a fond memory at Thanksgiving. Although he is with me in spirit I thank Daddy for always making Thanksgiving a special day.