It is a perfectly chilly autumn day but still sunny. We drive up to my grandparents' house in our car that's loaded down with two pumpkin pies and a fat, juicy apple one. Grabbing these and other things we had brought, we - my dad and mom, my sister Abbie, and me - head towards the front door. As we open it, we all brace ourselves but not soon enough. Within three seconds, our legs and feet are assaulted by a wave of barking dogs. The four excited canines repeatedly launch themselves at us, almost causing us to drop the pies.
From the other room we hear a shout followed by the shuffling sound of slippered feet, and in walks Grandpa. Picture him. He is tall, gray, and skinny; his sweater vest and high waisted pants hang loosely around his bony shoulders and legs, giving him the look of a well dressed scarecow. His slippers are set off by his bright socks that are pulled up to his shins. He strides towards us, wraps each of us in a soft hug, and greets all of us with a cheery voice and a smile.
Wading through the sea of dogs, we all continue to the kitchen, which is full of people. Aunt Nancy steps froward for a hug; her hands are full of turkey and stuffing but that doesn't stop her from enveloping me in her arms and crushing me against her chest.
"You get taller every time I see you," she remarks before letting go of me.
When she does, she steps aside so that the rest of the family can get in a hug also. There is Aunt Kristy and Uncle Chris with their kids, Annaliesse and Olivia; Uncle Eric and Aunt Patty with cousins Jordyn and Brady; and Aunt Nancy's two kids, Sinclair and Max.
Then Grandma appears from the basement stairs, her arms loaded down with spices and other cooking paraphernalia. She is the exact opposite of Grandpa physically; she is short and plump with curly blond hair, and she always has a cheery smile on her face. I have to bend down to hug her because I am so much taller than she. As she greets me, I can hear her contagious smile in her voice.
Now that all the hellos are said, we can all settle in. The pies are put away for later; and then the talking starts. The Hollenbeck family is very loud by nature so when everyone is together in a very small house with lots of things to say, you can just imagine the noise we create. All sorts of conversations bounce around the house; in every room someone is talking, hundreds of words creating a loud but wonderful noise that I just love.
While everyone talks, Aunt Nancy and Grandma continue to prepare the Thanksgiving dinner; they cook the turkey and stir the gravy, mix the cranberry sauce, and fluff the mashed potatoes. When everything is ready and set on the groaning table, everyone comes to sit down and eat.
This Thanksgiving is especially dear to me because it is the first time I remember the entire family being together. We all live so far away that it is a treat for even a few of us to get together, so when everyone of us is here, it's really quite wonderful.
I remember looking around the table at all the faces. My family. I remember how wonderful it all felt and I wished I could keep us all together forever. But since I couldn't, I simply had to enjoy it in the moment and keep the memory treasured forever.
Things have changed now. All of us have gone our own ways and no Thanksgiving will ever be the same as that very special one. But that is okay because the real joy I feel at Thanksgiving does not come from tradition or everything going exactly right. It comes from being with my family. No matter how loud or raucous they are, no matter how far apart we might live, I will always be happy to come back and celebrate Thanksgiving with them.
1 comment:
Aww Rachel.. this is so awesome. I remember that Thanksgiving so well. It's kinda sad cause at the time we don't really realize how treasured every little moment will be. Those crazy dogs! Ha! ♡ Aunt Patty (see u soon)
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