Over the Thanksgiving holiday, our family found itself in an odd situation. My husband had recently been promoted within his company, which resulted in our moving to a new city. We made the move in mid-November, which made planning for Thanksgiving virtually impossible. There was so much to do in regard to closing on a new home, selling our old home, the move itself and getting settled that we decided to have a simple Thanksgiving instead of the feast we normally prepare. The day before thanksgiving, with boxes still unpacked and the kids trying to adjust to the new surroundings, we received a gift basket from my husband’s coworkers whom he had worked with for several years.
The basket itself was huge, containing gourmet food products from around the world. Both my husband and I were humbled and thankful for this gesture as we marveled at how big the basket was. Still, we placed it on top of the refrigerator and went right back to work trying to get things in order. The next day, for the first time ever, we found ourselves enjoying Thanksgiving over a pizza. Needless to say, it was a little depressing for everyone. After we ate, we sat at the table and milled over what still needed to accomplished to get settled in. We were all tired, and the feeling of family closeness that usually accompanies Thanksgiving Day was replaced by a general malaise.
My husband remembered the gift basket we had been sent and brought it to the table. We opened it together and started sampling all the wonderful fruits, meats, cheeses and desserts it contained. Pretty soon, we were all talking and laughing about Thanksgivings past and our hopes for the future. I think we sat at the table together as a family longer than we ever had previously. Having all this great food to try out seemed to live everyone's spirits and remind us that we were still a family and that even a complicated move couldn't stop us from enjoying the holiday together. I am grateful for that gift basket, and for a Thanksgiving I'll always cherish.