I sing in a choir and the director is awesome. We’re really like a family and as he closed the piano yesterday, our last rehearsal before Thanksgiving, he leaned over the piano in his lecture stance and just looked at us. Lord only knows what’s coming when he does that. Lol. He proceeded to say that if we should find ourselves alone on Thanksgiving, with no place to go, hungry, and feeling sad ’cause we’re lonely that we could come to his place and celebrate Thanksgiving with him. Awesome! He said there is no reason any of us should not be with other people to celebrate Thanksgiving with a good meal. There will be lots of people there. He even said we can crash for the night if we want. He lives a good half hour or more north of most of us and he even said if we need a ride that he’ll come pick us up. What a blessing. It really made my day to know that he cares and that his students really do matter to him.

Now I’m trying to think of a way to convince my mom into letting me go to his place instead of her sister’s! lol. She has decided she wants to go see that side of the family. I guess she talks to this sister frequently but the other sister she never sees will be there and so will one of their sons’ families. Oh yay. I know NONE of them, except for one aunt. And I find myself in this predicament again that I find myself in often. I don’t have anything to talk about EXCEPT MENTAL HEALTH! except choir, and what can you really say about choir? It’s like my life revolves around mental health and treating my illness and that’s not always something I want to talk about. So what DO you talk about when someone asks you how you’ve been and what you’re doing with your life? Usually I just lie and say I’m doing well and use my work for my DBSA group as a “job.” I’m ashamed of where I’m at. So what do you say?

I do hope you would seriously consider coming here for Thanksgiving some day, as it is by far my FAVORITE holiday. Why? I dearly love having a full table of family and friends enjoying a meal that I’ve planned for and enjoyed preparing. I usually don’t get to cook or bake so elaborately since I commute to work, but that is one day where I indulge myself! Turkey, gravy, fluffy mashed potatoes, butternut squash, veggies, homemade cranberry sauce and homemade dinner rolls… And then there’s dessert! I bake a very good pie – so far, I haven’t found any pie that beats mine for either taste or appearance (my grandmother said, “Never trust a woman who doesn’t like her own cookin’.”) I bake cherry, pumpkin, apple, and caramel-pecan for dessert. I may also add a trifle or pumpkin roll, as well, depending on the number of guests we expect.

I love the sound of the Thanksgiving Day parades on TV and the smells of turkey and pies emanating from the kitchen. I don’t feel the stress that Christmas brings (the present issues get me stressed) and I am in no rush to rush Christmas, so the entire weekend is one to enjoy. I do not hit the stores on the Friday after Thanksgiving. I’ll quilt, or garden, or some other enjoyable activity, and munch on leftovers for meals (mmm!)

I hope someday you may be able to share a similar feeling about Thanksgiving. At any rate, feel free to consider yourself invited to our home for the holiday!

Most sincerely,
Sandra J. Sweeney