We’ve all rushed off to start putting up Christmas decorations and nearly forgotten about Thanksgiving. After a loud year, Thanksgiving has come in quietly, sat at the table and folded its hands, waiting patiently for us to notice it. I find Thanksgiving to be an incredibly important holiday, even if it’s not as fun to decorate for. An entire day devoted to reflecting upon your thankfulness will always be valuable in my eyes.
Before Halloween, I’ll admit that I erected a secondary Christmas tree in my dining room and began making ornaments for it. I watched the glitter fall in my new red Christmas truck snow globe and I thought, “I can’t wait to show my mom all of these beautiful new decorations.” But with the hand that 2020 has dealt, coupled with the fact that we moved so far away, the chances are that my annual tradition of enjoying Thanksgiving dinner with my mom is in the past. Until last year, I have always lived less than an hour from most of my family. Holidays are tough without family, especially when it’s all I’ve ever known.
Our friends came to the rescue. When you move away from family, they remain incredibly important but I realized that friends become so much more special. We have already made some wonderful friends here, friends that I truly adore. We have some friends that we already consider family, true gifts from God.
We met the amazing people at DaBell Family Farms while touring a farmers market for the first time. We bought tomatoes from them and learned all about Kunekune pigs. A lot has happened since then and now, to include us becoming the parents to two very adorable piglets born on their farm.
Upon learning that we would have Thanksgiving alone at home, they invited us to join them. I cried with a bittersweet joy. I felt like I was solidifying the fact that my tradition with my mommy was in the past, but I also was overwhelmed with thankfulness to God for blessing me with these outstanding people. A part of me feels even more grateful for friends than for family because we are born with family but I think that making the right friends is all part of a bigger journey and an experience of life. My first Friendsgiving will be one to remember and one I appreciate so very, very much.