The best kind of gathering

Morgan Rooney
MSMU Class of 2020

(11/2019) My first memories of Thanksgiving are very specific. I was four or five, walking around my grandparent’s house back home in Texas. One of my parents would serve me a plate which had turkey which had been cut up in pieces small enough for me to eat. The plate would also contain a scoop of garlic mashed potatoes with a perfect swimming pool of brown gravy floating in the middle. There was a small serving of green beans, which I likely avoided, and some sort of Jell-O with fruit incorporated into it (which I have never been super fond of. I don’t think the two belong together).

My favorite part would be after the main course. I would walk over to the island in the kitchen and gaze over all the pies that covered it. My mom and all of her five siblings would bring a pie, sometimes two. There were so many options. It was the main reason I was so excited to attend, other than seeing my cousins and grandparents. There was a grouping of pumpkin pies, the most popular amongst the kids, there was cherry pie, apple pie (my personal favorite), chocolate cream, and even banana cream pie. They were all delicious, wonderful choices (and much better than the fruit Jell-O stuff).

Now, before I get way too caught up all the delicious choices that many of us are lucky to have on Thanksgiving Day each year, I should explain why I truly love Thanksgiving. To me, Thanksgiving is like Christmas to a certain extent. No, there isn’t quite as much build up and it is celebrating a much different event, however, we celebrate by coming together as friends and family. One great difference I notice is that Thanksgiving comes with much less greed. Yes, I know that Christmas is also meant to be a time of giving, but I notice that sometimes, people get so caught up in the gifts that they forget what it’s all about. With Thanksgiving, there are no physical gifts to be given. There is only the want to provide for each other.

Since I’ve started furthering my education at the Mount, which was over three years ago, I have been unable to go home for Thanksgiving. Texas is a great distance away, airline prices go up, and spending two days traveling is not exactly ideal for a five-day vacation. Fortunately, I have other family in the area who I’ve been spending Thanksgiving with for the past few years. In addition to that, I have become close to several people here that have invited me to their own family Thanksgiving dinners, which I am very complimented by. No one wants another person to be alone on Thanksgiving.

Even though I don’t get to spend time with my parents or my sister for Thanksgiving anymore, it is still great to have a well-deserved break from the regular workload and stress. In addition, I get to see my grandma, aunts, uncles, and cousins who I love to spend time with.

I know in the next few years, my Thanksgiving situation will change a lot. My life will be much different than it is now. I don’t know where I’ll be. I don’t know what job I will have. I don’t know who will be nearby and who will be far away. The one thing I do know is that Thanksgiving is an important holiday that I refuse to miss out on, even if I can’t go home to where my family is.

Although I am no expert on the origins of this holiday, which is definitely one of my favorites, I know that it has been around a while in American history and made its place as an American tradition. This was even before many of my ancestors arrived to the United States in the 19th century from Ireland and Norway. As of now, we hold many traditions with us including the celebration of Thanksgiving each year. This is a holiday that I will certainly celebrate with my children no matter where I live in the future, even if it is not in the United States.

I’ve come across many people these days who claim that Thanksgiving shouldn’t be celebrated because it was not founded on charitable origins, which may hold some truth. However, I don’t believe this is any reason to throw away the holiday. Thanksgiving has evolved into a time when we are meant to get together and celebrate each other. It’s a time to be grateful of huge meal that you share with your family and have the knowledge that not everyone in the country is as fortunate to do the same with their families.

I believe that Thanksgiving is a beautiful representation of why many of our ancestors and so many people today came into the United States in the first place. What we all want is to be nourished and be able to care for and keep our families safe, comfortable, and healthy. Different members of my family came to this country for different reasons. Some of my ancestors were escaping famine, while others were escaping persecution. Some were just looking for a better life with more opportunity for themselves and their families. With any of these reasons, I imagine that Thanksgiving embodies the dream that my ancestors envisioned when they set out to the United States.

I can’t think of any better reason to gather together as friends and family than to cook, talk, and share a beautifully made meal while we catch up. We all live such busy lives and sometimes that means that we unfortunately forget to check up on family and friends. The fact that we take an extra day of the year and dedicate it to doing just that is something we shouldn’t overlook or dread. It is something I hope I always have an appreciation for. We all ended up where we are for a reason, so let’s take a moment to look at how far we’ve come and give thanks for the fortunes that we have.

Read other articles by Morgan Rooney