Now that most of the overnight guests are headed home and I have a few minutes, I guess I need to file my final report on our Thanksgiving adventure; so here it is…

The dinner was a success, but then we knew it would be. Actually, it was a cakewalk, as expected. Come on cooks of America; be honest… as the big family dinners go, Thanksgiving is the easiest and cheapest by far. It’s not easy to mess it up, and come on, let’s be honest; the only way you can make a turkey dry is by overcooking it.

Everything was on the table and ready to eat at 4 pm, which was exactly when I planned it, and it was gone about 15 minutes later. Is it worth it to fuss for several days and then have it all gone in 15 minutes?

Well, you can be the judge.

Did anyone care about tradition when the dinner they had been smelling for several hours was ready to eat?

No, of course not, they were hungry.

Will anybody remember the dinner? No. (As long as there is turkey around somewhere and they got enough to eat.)

Thus, in the final analysis, is Thanksgiving about traditions and form and perfection of execution?

No, not in the slightest; it is about people, love, community and being thankful.

So, why do we knock ourselves out in getting it ready?

People, love, community and being thankful.

Is it a big job? Yes, it is, but it isn’t a burden if you remember why you are doing it. Rather, it is a joy. Yet, with that said, you can make it into a burden if you want to; all you need to do to make it a burden, is to be all about form, ceremony, tradition and “doing it right”. You see, when you come to my house, I’m going to “do it different” and you are going to have fun instead of form.

Incidentally, I believe in “doing” church the same way.

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