Assignment 14 - Elizabeth Moore - The One That Was a Little Deeper Than Expected

Frankly, my family’s Thanksgiving could be that stock image. My mom cooks for two days straight to prepare for our Thanksgiving feast of Turkey, cornbread and sausage stuffing, sweet potato casserole, mashed garlic parsnips, green bean casserole with fried shallots, corn pudding, gravy, and buttery rolls. My other family members bring an assortment of cranberries, a disgusting cranberry-celery-jello dish served in a jello mold original to the 1980’s, mac and cheese, pies, nuts sautéed in bacon grease, and cheeses. Thanksgiving is an all-in event. We break out my Great-Grandmother’s china, crystal glasses and butter dishes, and silver silverware; We light candles; We put down a white laced tablecloth. And somehow my crazy uncle always ends up starting a political discussion, albeit an uneventful one because everyone in my family has similar political views. After the meal we retreat to the living room with hot Wassel to watch Saturday Night Live, OK Go videos, and the newest Star Wars trailer. I love our fancy little holiday. But it’s always tinged with a bit of grief because every year it seems our table gets a little bit smaller. When I was young over twenty people showed up each year, but as the older members of my family began to pass away, my little family was reduced to only eight: my nuclear family, my three grandparents, and my uncle. I want a big family again.