The simple pleasures of Thanksgiving

Following tradition

Thanksgiving Day has dawned bright and gorgeous in Grapevine, the kind of day that inspires joy and a spirit of peace and contentment in venerable Gunnels Manse.

Despite the seismic changes that have occurred around here of late – Marice and I finally have achieved the dreaded empty nest – traditions are being followed.

The applies I peeled and sliced last night have been turned into a delicious pie, despite Marice’s misgivings about the amount of sugar added, also a tradition strictly observed.

The apple pie joined a beautiful pecan pie on the cooling rack. And even though the pecans no longer come from the trees grown by my grandmother in the sandy loam of West Texas, the pie will be wonderful, as always.

Later today, the kids will show up, and we’ll be a united family again for a few hours. Rachel and Ethan top the list of things I’m most thankful for on this day of national thanksgiving. They represent my only real accomplishment of note, and I am exceedingly proud of them.

Like families across this country, we will try to avoid talking about politics today. But I strongly suspect we will fail because things are not normal in this country, and no amount of pretending they are will change that.

Luckily for us, there will be no serious arguments over turkey and cranberries. Marice and I have raised a couple of strong progressives, which is to say, liberals. Lest you think we politically indoctrinated our children, I assure you we did not. But when Marice and I talked about work and the world around us, they listened and drew their own conclusions.

Today, they are people of strong mind, stout heart and sturdy character who conduct themselves with honesty, integrity and compassion. If things ever get better in this country, it will be because of people like them.

So political discourse will have to wait. Today, we’ll concentrate on other things – Rachel’s impending move, Ethan’s new job, Marice’s latest home improvement project, my empty threats to strangle the Westie if she doesn’t stop barking. We will simply enjoy being a family again. The future, with all its problems, complications and disturbances, will come soon enough.

To all of you, family and friends, my wish is that you, too, will spend today enjoying the simple pleasures of being around the people you love. In the end, they are all we have.

Happy Thanksgiving!