Episode 44: All About Thanksgiving Day
Our Thanksgiving episode has us feeling thankful for so much, Friendsgiving, our friends, our family, delicious food, this beautiful life we lead and so much more.
Taking time off and travelling to be with the people who matter to you or spending time with the people who travel far to see you.
Planning the menu for dinner, all the traditional dishes with a few new ones too.
Getting up early to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, the way you have every year as long as you could remember.
Spicy apple cider with a splash of bourbon in it, it warms you all the way to the tips of your toes.
Remembering watching Thanksgiving Day marathons of The Twilight Zone with your siblings when you were young.
Friendsgiving with your nearest and dearest when you can’t make it home.
Making Thanksgiving day crafts with little kids, carefully tracing around your hand, cutting it out, showing them how to make it look like a turkey.
Playing flag football in the yard with your cousins before the big meal.
Crashing through piles of golden and red leaves, the swan song of autumn just before the serious cold sets in.
Sitting quiet in the midst of chaos, watching the people you loved talking loud, prepare food and bickering gently, catching up after some time apart.
Feeling sleepy and knowing you could take a nap and when you wake up, everyone will still be around.
Drinking sparkling cider out of a fancy glass.
Enjoying the unique traditions that come along with your family and friends, Scrabble or putting together puzzles late into the night.
Helping out in the kitchen in the midst of a bunch of different people cooking their favorite dishes.
The centerpieces with warm spicy candles, walnuts and pecans, beautiful pumpkins and leaves, rich maroons and dark oranges.
When someone makes place settings for every single person, seeing your name written out in big, loopy cursive.
Dressing up a little bit and then changing into your softest, comfiest pants for the big meal.
Once a year flavors, things you may not eat any other time, turkey with all the fixings, savory stuffing, mashed potatoes drizzled with cream and butter, cranberry sauce straight from the can.
Taking a long walk together in the woods after your meal, before pie and dessert and coffee and talking long into the night.
The desserts table, fresh whipped cream, pecan pie, pumpkin pie, sweet potato casserole.
Thanksgiving leftovers are the best leftover that there is, making cranberry and turkey sandwiches, more gravy and stuffing.
Eating dishes that you know you’ll only get to enjoy for a short while more, pumpkin pie just the way your mom makes it or biscuits from your grandmother’s recipe.
Breaking the wishbone to see whose wish will come true.
Looking around the table and realizing that you do have so much to be thankful for, listening to the people that you love tell you what they’re thankful for, thinking of your own endless gratitude for what you have even in the midst of a very hard year for everyone.
Preparing our hearts and minds for what’s left of the year, a season of change, the holidays still to come, closing our eyes and promising to take this gratitude with us into the New Year.
Happiness Spells Podcast is a five minute list of all the greatest pleasures and smallest joys in life. Increase your capacity for positivity, curiosity and gratitude. New episodes every Monday and Thursday.
This episode of Happiness Spells was written, arranged, recorded and produced by Amanda Meyncke in Los Angeles, California. Our music is by Chris Zabriskie.