I Am Thankful

 

 All over the United States of America millions of families are sitting down to a meal. The meal will be delicious, it will be filling, and  it will produce enough leftovers to feed a small third world country. My family is no different. There are just three of us this year making a Thanksgiving meal. While the food is often the highlight of the holiday, my favorite part is pulling out the turkey platter. 

The platter is not attractive, it is not new, and it is not well-made. It is, however, a family tradition. My mother purchased this plastic platter twenty-four years ago at the only grocery store in town (at the time anyway.) It was purchased out of necessity for our first Thanksgiving after moving to Florida in October of that year. 

That first year my job responsibilities included finding the turkey platter and washing it, taking down the china, and clearing the table. As I grew older my job list grew as well. I would be be now responsible for peeling apples, rolling pie crusts, and keeping the dog away from the turkey. Now, my job duties include everything. Making the turkey, preparing desserts, peeling, cutting, and roasting vegetables, clearing the table, and pulling down the china. The last thing I will do this year (before the heavy cleanup) is pull out the turkey platter, wash it off, and get it ready to hold the countless years of memories that belong on its wide back.