Universal Message

We didn't get Thanksgiving Day off. The day is one of many American traditions that everyone around here knows from the movies but doesn't recognize. Regardless of the lack of awareness of those around me, I was determined to spread the message of the day to all I encountered. The more I'm away from family for the big holidays the more I find my own meaning for them. They are more than big meals, football and leftovers. When you don't have those familiar things available to you, you have no choice but to find something else meaningful in it all.

The night of the US elections a friend asked me if I'd help him cook a Thanksgiving dinner for a bunch of the Frisbee friends. Getting my hands into the making of a Thanksgiving meal can be so much fun to me, I of course said I would love to help. For the entire week leading up to the day the two of us took trips to Bondsteel, the French, German, Italian and Danish KFOR bases and their PX stores buying turkeys, frozen pies, wine, Stove Top Stuffing and looking high and low for cranberries and canned pumpkin. For that which we were not successful, we were able to improvise and find local modifications. Some angel was watching and brought a donation of canned pumpkin to me from London that wasn't being used by anyone else. Saved me from having to cut up and cook an entire pumpkin. The turkeys available were frozen mini Butterballs. Our guest list became over 15 and we decided we would definitely need two of them. Seeing as two turkeys do NOT fit into an oven at the same time, we were up until 2 AM cooking the first one Wednesday night after Frisbee. It required a call to Grandma Helen for some tips and in the end bird #1 was a good test. We knew what to do to make #2 better.

For my class that day, I explained a little bit about the holiday and how it began. Pilgrims, Mayflower, religions persecution, difficult winter in the new world, native Americans helping out, and a final feast of thanks. I made a point of telling them that what was historically a celebration with religions intent, centuries later has evolved into a holiday celebrated in the US by every race, religion and nationality. Every culture that has immigrated to the country has created their own tradition around the day that has been set aside to recognize all of the things in our lives we are fortunate to have. The kids went on to make lists of the things they were thankful for. From family, friends and teachers to electricity, socks and the USA. Without the meal and without the TV on, these Serbian and Albanian kids got the message. We all have reasons to be thankful.

The rest of the afternoon was spent listening to music, cutting veggies and smelling the second turkey roasting to perfection with my cooking partner in crime. We had a blast preparing it all. And the icing on the cake was the Australian guest asking what a parsnip was, how you make stuffing and marveling at how pumpkin could taste so good. I've been here for two months now, and cannot begin to explain how thankful I am to have been able to spend the day doing something I love doing with people that I'm lucky to share a great day with. One more of so many things in my life to be thankful for!