Thanksgiving Traditions

Every Monday my boss sends out a Monday Morning Email.  It is to jumpstart our entire week.  Sometimes we are asked to respond to a certain question.  This week the question was, “do you have any Thanksgiving Traditions”.  I responded with my real answer to this question, an answer that I have been holding onto for months regarding what we should or should not be doing on Thanksgiving Day.

I said “I have a lot to say about this so relax for a minute.”  I don’t get to have too many Thanksgiving traditions, as we have 6 children who live in 4 different households, so our Thanksgiving looks different every single year.

What I can tell you though, is that our Thanksgiving is NEVER on Thanksgiving day and probably never will be again.  I get bent out of shape about all the people who are angry that stores are open on Thanksgiving and yada yada yada.  Its fine, I mean I get it.  Though, I am not a bad person because I am going to go shopping on Thanksgiving night (yes Thursday night, probably about 5pm).

I don’t see anyone getting all riled up that Meijer is open for them to go grab their last minute Thanksgiving meal ingredients or that Speedway is open so that they can stop and get gas on their way out of town to visit relatives.  Years ago when we used to go up north to visit my grandparents for Thanksgiving, we use to go out shopping after we ate.  There were ALWAYS stores open.

Some people want to work on Thanksgiving, make a very conscious choice to work on Thanksgiving and get some pretty awesome perks for working on Thanksgiving.  I am thankful for ALL THOSE PEOPLE! I have worked retail, have friends who have worked/do work retail and we ALL know what we were getting ourselves into by taking that job.

Shopping on Thanksgiving is the only thing that has stayed consistent through the years.  I get to go shopping with my cousins, my aunts, my mom and my sister, whomever is available.  From Thanksgiving night into Black Friday morning, we venture all over the city, going in out of stores and enjoying each others company.  I love it, long for it and that is my tradition.

We will be having Thanksgiving on Saturday this year.  For the first time ever I will be celebrating without James and Jordan, because it just didn’t work out this year to have all 8 of us together!  Our Thanksgiving is celebrated in a different way, every year, depending on our current situation.  We have never had all 6 children on Thanksgiving day and chances are good that we never will.

Some of you choose to spend Thanksgiving Thursday in a house, with your family and I’m happy that is an option for you.  Some of us, don’t have that same luxury and so Thanksgiving looks different for us.  I will be home in the morning with my husband and our youngest son.  In the afternoon, I will be meeting up with my family members to enjoy my Thanksgiving tradition.

May you have a very Happy Thanksgiving, however and whenever you celebrate it!