I had low expectations for Thanksgiving this year. It’s usually one of my favorite holidays, and I’d normally have a big gathering, where I’d cook for both family and friends. Our house has slowly become a place for those who don’t have anywhere to spend Thanksgiving, especially because that’s the way our home was when I was a kid.
But when Covid thwarted those plans, I suddenly didn’t feel like cooking anything. In fact, I didn’t even feel like ordering a catered meal! But as you may have watched in our last video, I did eventually snap out of it last minute and decided to go Thanksgiving grocery shopping. I should know myself better by now. Let’s be real…no matter the situation, I’ll probably always end up cooking.
In the end, I was happy I did go shopping and there was a turkey sitting in my fridge. I thought it was going to be just the three of us, but then I invited my friend, who is in our Covid bubble, and had no plans. That’s when I decided to also pack and deliver a meal for my in-laws, who usually spend it with us. Since this was so last-minute, there was no talk beforehand of us doing a meal drop off, but I called them that morning and asking if they’d like us to swing by with some Thanksgiving food. They said an enthusiastic “yes,” and I was happy to cook for more people.
You can see me prep and cook in real life as I made our Thanksgiving dinner this year in our video, Cook with Me: Thanksgiving 2020. I even had a mini sous-chef this year!
We also had an unexpected surprise visit from my friend, who had miraculously recovered from a serious case of Covid, being a front line worker. She was admitted to the hospital for several days, and struggling. We were all anxiously waiting and praying for her and her family. Thankfully, she made it back home and was off of oxygen just in time for Thanksgiving! She decided to go around on Thanksgiving day and drop off little “thank you” presents for people who had helped her family during this time. I was completely shocked and touched by this kind gesture. It was totally unnecessary, but it absolutely made our day to see her face.
So what was initially going to start out as a holiday I was planning on ignoring, actually became a pretty eventful day! It made me realize that even though Thanksgiving 2020 might have been different, that there were still reasons to celebrate. The meal drop off was a success and spending a quieter Thanksgiving with our bubble was really pleasant. It ended up being lower stress, with less dishes to clean, calmer, and more conversation!
We even got a chance to reveal to Lincoln his new play area in our renovated basement that day. We had to repair it because it was covered in mold from flooding before we moved in, and it wasn’t being used whatsoever. Lincoln referred to it as “creepy” and I couldn’t imagine it being somewhere he could one day want to spend time. But we finished it and moved some of his toys in there just in time for Thanksgiving. We waited until after our meal and then went down there for the big reveal. He was so happy and we were grateful to have this additional space we could enjoy in our home.
In the end, we were able to make it a day filled with family, friends, food, and fun, despite the current situation. And for that, we give thanks.
