Thankful Thoughts
and controlled chaos
Hi everyone, and happy Friday! I hope you had a good week, and if you celebrate Thanksgiving, that it was festive and delicious. Today’s note is abbreviated, as we’re in St. Louis with Jim’s family, and the past few days have been all about shopping, cooking, tidying, and table-setting in preparation for yesterday’s big feast.
This year marked my 21st American Thanksgiving, and as the festivities wound down last night, I found myself sitting beside my sister-in-law, Merrie Jo, on the sofa reminiscing about the way things have changed over time.
Thanksgiving in St. Louis pre-kids consisted of an annual football game and hours spent in sports bars catching up with Jim’s brothers, cousins, and high school friends over drinks and local specialties like toasted ravioli and provel pizza.
Then came the babies! Merrie and Jo and I marveled at the fact that, for so many years, keeping our small children busy and entertained (and fed!) was all-consuming: getting up early with them, changing diapers, making trips to the playground, visiting Santa at the mall, and wrangling them into and out of their “dressed-up” clothes, and then, of course, into bed!
Fast forward to yesterday, when Sadie (16) “approved” the outfit I wore, and now, as I write this at 9 am, both she and Teddy (12) are still sleeping.
The little kid years were busy and fun, but I loved looking across the room after we all sat down to eat yesterday, to see my children chatting animatedly with their cousins while (mostly correctly!) using knives, forks, and napkins. I wish I had taken pictures, although doing so probably would have ruined the moment. I did get this picture of Sadie and Teddy on the night we arrived here - and as you can see, they were not entirely cooperative…
I thought this piece beautifully captured what Thanksgiving is about for many families - the coming together to cook and eat in a certain kind of controlled chaos - and the simple joy of gathering as a family, both on special occasions, and every day.
“…when I think back to 18 years of family dinners, I don’t necessarily think about how impeccably I browned my chicken thighs…Mostly I remember the predictability of dinner, the comforting consistency of it, the idea that we all had a guaranteed respite from the pressures of the day-to-day, a safe place to simultaneously disconnect from our devices and talk to one another, even if that often meant a mere “good” or “fine” from the kids when my husband and I asked about their days.”
And in the spirit of gratitude, which is the entire point of Thanksgiving, I love this quote from Alessandra Olanow on Instagram:
That’s it for today. I hope you don’t mind that this week’s note is short - I’ll be back next week with lots of good things to watch, cook, read, and do - and maybe some Christmas gift ideas, too!
Have a wonderful weekend!
xo
Amelia