by Noella Noelophile®
Thanksgiving, 2021, looks very different from our festive 2019 celebration.
We just returned from getting our COVID-19 booster shots. We give thanks that we have these medical advances–and pray that poorer countries may receive, and benefit from, the vaccine and boosters.
No guests are coming this year. We give thanks that we can connect with friends and family virtually, and remind them of their importance to us through email, texts and Zoom.
We have chosen to isolate out of an abundance of caution, due to the vulnerability of several older family members. We give thsnks for the precautions which are being taken at the special events we normally attend, to keep everyone safe. And we’re thankful for virtual live streams, so we don’t have to miss all the fun!
Thanksgiving dinner will not be especially elaborate for us, this year. We give thanks, both for wonderful memories of past gatherings with family and friends, and for the special but simple recipes we’ve been preparing, of favorite foods that evoke those memories. And we pray for those less fortunate, as well as for the amazing community organizations and volunteers who are working to help them change their lives.
And on a lighter note–we also have a new feline in our household this year. We’re thankful for sweet Mollie cat–even if she does perform her “Feed Me Serenade” at five in the morning!
Now–what are you most thankful for?
Happy Thanksgiving, and may it be a healthy and safe one for you and yours.