Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. My mom is a chef, so of course, I get pretty excited. That being said, my Thanksgiving has always been a little bit different than most people’s. My parents are divorced but luckily, still really good friends. My dad normally has us on Thanksgiving and we don’t really have any family around, so we go to Arizona.
Arizona has always been a really big part of my life because my family has always been there, and we used to spend Christmas together there. Every year we go to Phoenix and then cook at my aunt’s house and bring all of our food into a national park in the desert. We hike a mountain after we eat and it’s one of the most beautiful places I’ve been to. Fast forward to this year, where we are all unable to go see the family for Thanksgiving. It’s been hard to recognize that this year, I won’t be able to see my cousins or my aunts and uncles, but since the pandemic is more real than ever, we are staying home this year.
That being said, this Thanksgiving is all about improvising the best we can. Thankfully, this year my entire immediate family can be together on Thanksgiving, and we’ll all be able to eat my Mom’s amazing dinner she’ll cook for all of us. This Thanksgiving will be spent in jeans and not shorts with no sand in sight, and that’s okay. Instead, I will be with my Mom, who is my best friend, my dogs and my cat in my childhood bedroom. This year, more than anything, I think I need to be home. With the stress of online school, an election, a pandemic and my junior year, being at home is just what I needed. Thanksgiving, to me, is just a day to be with the people you love.
Another way I’m spending my time this year is having a Friendsgiving. For some people, family isn’t an option for Thanksgiving or any holiday. We tend to forget that in our discussions about the holiday that it may not hold the best family memories for some. My friends and I put on our own Friendsgiving this year, and everyone was responsible for a dish or two. We ate off paper plates and did our best to make good food. We listened to Christmas music and talked about what we were thankful for, and with everything going on in the world, I think that’s important. This Friendsgiving was just as important to me as the real deal because I am a strong believer that you can choose your family if you want to.
Although Thanksgiving looks different this year, I am more than grateful that I am still able to be with the people that I love. Thanksgiving is all about eating good food and hanging out with people who make your heart feel at ease. Whichever way you do that is what makes Thanksgiving what it is.