The most wonderful time of the year

It is that time of year again.  As much as I love spring and summer, due to my desire to grow things, Thanksgiving through the New Year holds a very special place in my heart and memories.  As I mentioned earlier, I can't "truly remember" a lot about my past.  I can't dive in and pick a specific day and tell you what I was doing or what anyone else was doing, those types of memories just aren't there.  Hell, I can't tell you what I did yesterday (that's not actually true, work let out early and I did some indoor plant work that I had been putting off).

I am a Christmas nut believe it or not.  I am that guy that ran around the office at my corporate job dropping bottles of wine randomly on people I worked with desks.  I am pretty sure they knew it was me, but I didn't leave a note or card.  Why, I was hoping they felt that little tinge of magic.  The one I felt during the holidays.  See, it was all magical to me.  I don't allow myself to listen to Christmas music or watch any Christmas movies until Thanksgiving.  Unfortunately, my immediately family gets forced into this slightly as it is really important to me.  Why you ask?  I want to keep some anticipation and wonder to the season.  In today's instant access world, I want something to require patience, anticipation, and mystery.  

Since I have the whole season to discuss Christmas (if you have seen Sponge Bob's Christmas special please know that I say this like him, "Chrissssssstmaaaaass" - If you know you know), I am going to just remember Thanksgiving in my search for greatness.

I remember a lot of Thanksgivings.  I have vivid memories of looking around the table.  My siblings, much younger, all of them, and my parents all around the table in our dining room (That was a bedroom for a while later in my life and I am not sure why that was - see, can't remember everything).  I remember that I was a very picky eater back in the day and I regret that.  So much food to try and so little time now.  I didn't like lumpy mashed potatoes.  I still don't for the most part, if you're going to mash them, do it right!  However, I love all types of potatoes now and honestly, back in the day I preferred instant mashed to real potatoes.  I know right?  What the Hell was wrong with me?

They talk about football being so important to Thanksgiving, but I don't really remember watching the games though I know we watched the Cowboys every year.  I remember going in the AM to play basketball at the high school with my friends family.  You know, back then I didn't think about the fact that the mothers were at home making all the food.  I mean, my dad didn't come play basketball it was just me and my friends family and their friends, etc.  I don't remember a lot about those games, but I remember enjoying myself.  I remember walking from my childhood home to the junior high school gymnasium. My house, by the way, was about as close as you could get to the school.  I remember one particular Thanksgiving when it was snowing and how important that was to me and how much I marveled at how pretty the fresh snow falling was.  My father loved it when it snowed on Thanksgiving and Christmas.  At least he said he did, and I am going to talk him at his word about that.  Funny thing it is snowing right now as I type this and that makes me smile and get a little watery in the eyes.

Getting back to what I really remember, the main thing was time with my family and friends. All in all, I think the main thing was time.  I paused my self indulged life, and yes, we are all pretty self indulged as young kids, to actually enjoy time with others.  More importantly, my parents paused their busy lives to take a little bit of time to make a nice dinner for us to enjoy together.  As someone who absolutely loves to cook for his family, this labor and why we do it is not lost on me.  I truly believe that preparing food for someone is one of the best ways to show someone you care about them.

So, was I great back then at Thanksgiving.  No, I was good.  I was a mediocre basketball player.  I dribbled well enough not to travel and keep the ball for a bit, I shot ok if I was on that day, but I hustled and enjoyed myself.  I mean, I was never great at sports, but I think most of my later life friends would be surprised to know that I was pretty good at most sports and was moderately "jocky" in school.  I just had to much energy to sit still and decent eye hand coordination.  Oh, and similar to Forrest Gump, I was running!

When it comes to Thanksgiving dinner, I was definitely not great.  All I did was eat some of the food that my folks prepared for me.  You see, I wasn't great, the day, it was great.  Well, at least the ones I choose to remember.  The funny thing about the day being great is that we don't have to go back in time to experience time with friends and family, we can recreate that right now.  We can leave the same memories in our children that my parents, and friends of my parents did for me.  There was nothing particularly different about "back in the day" and now when it comes to creating and pausing time for those you care about so that you can create a memory.

So, once again, as I dwell on my past in the search for greatness, I find once again that I was good, the time was great because of circumstance, but getting back to that does not require anything from anyone else.  I am truly thankful for my younger years and my parents for creating an atmosphere that I can look back to as great.  You and I can do that, right now.

I'm good (MMGA) and Happy Thanksgiving!

- JJ