With all the great articles around about families and diversity, it comes to mind that new definitions of old concepts are really everywhere.

My memories of thanksgiving in days of old are pretty great.  As a kid my mother cooked her traditional recipes, and when I had my daughter, I cooked the same but added some pearl onions and Parmesan sauce.  No one ate that but me.  I think it came from TV Guide in the 60’s, as did the stuffing and marshmallow sweet potatoes.

Years went by and tradition always sat at the head of the table.  Divorces, losses, estrangements, but always a valiant attempt to get some group together and to always ask “What are You Grateful for Today?” (surely not the clean up afterwards).

This year the group was on the west coast.  Except for me.  But a big change in the family tradition took place too.  Rather than all stay and travel and cook and shop, the group rented a small condo in San Francisco and traveled on foot, and ate in a stranger’s dining room (a restaurant). They all stayed in the same house too. What a marathon visit!!

What they really shared, and were grandly thankful for was all the time they spent together and all the fun they had.  Turns out the meal in a small restaurant was perfect and, I know you know, it wasn’t really about the turkey.

New definition, spend next thanksgiving in a place where everyone can relax and exercise between courses and overdose on love instead of carbs.

So the little 5 year old and the great grandmother of 90 and everyone else had a blast.

I think I’ll try to be there next year too. At least I can be thankful for all of them — even though i’m on the east coast. Let’s let the new tradition become a ritual.