I didn’t do a Thanksgiving entry last year, probably because I was thankful for pretty much the same things as the previous year. This year though, I came up with something new to be thankful for.

Thanksgiving has always been held at my house (my parents’ house?) for as long as I can remember. (The other holidays are hosted by my mom’s sisters.) When I was a kid, this to me meant that everyone came over here! I could show my stuff off to my cousins! I could share the house with all my relatives!

It meant my mom and aunts and grandmothers were in the kitchen, cooking for a few hours to provide a bountiful dinner for everyone. My dad and uncles watched tv and munched on chips. The kids (my brothers and cousins and me) entertained themselves … in whatever trending way.

When I got older, my two oldest cousins started helping out in the kitchen. This made me realize, oh no! Eventually, some day, I would be expected to cook in the kitchen all morning and afternoon to help provide a bountiful dinner!

When I was in high school, my mom started asking my brothers and me for some help in cleaning up the house for Thanksgiving. Of course we were at that age where doing anything we didn’t want to do was a drag and was sooo unfair. We spent many years trying to get away with doing as little work as possible so my mom could tell we were done, we could go off and play.

But one brother started working, and the other was still at school last year when I was the only one home to help out my mom! I don’t remember how much or how little work I did, how much I grumbled, or anything.

This year, maybe because my brother and I scheduled a Disneyland visit during the weekend before Thanksgiving, I’ll never know, I was more willing to help my mom clean up the house for the big day.

Even though I was cleaning, doing mindless, boring work that gave me no pleasure, I realized something. All this preparation has built up my anticipation for the holiday! Not just for the delicious American food we’ll be eating, either. (Although of course that never gets old.) But I am very thankful for my family and relatives coming together and having a great time, and the holiday has nothing to do with what we bought for each other, or [insert New Year’s stereotype]; it’s just enjoying being together.

I’m really thankful that America has a holiday where we stop and think about what we appreciate in our lives.

(I’m also very thankful that I managed to come up with an entry for November! hah! Six days before the deadline! *dies*)