A Retrospective on Thanksgiving

Thirty-seven people gathered in our house to eat, nap, watch football, and have a good time! We circled up, or rather joined hands, (in an attempt to make a circle) for prayer before dinner. As I looked around the room at the little ones who are barely three to the octogenarian sitting on the sofa, I had that feeling of such overwhelming blessing. You know, my cup runneth over! God has been so faithful to my family over many generations. I am thankful for the prayers of my parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents, and that is to say nothing of my slightly more extended family too!

I woke up to the smell of two huge turkeys in the ovens and hustle and bustle of getting the tables set and the last cleaning done. At one, as I said we prayed for the meal and thanked the Lord for the blessings of the year. At the final Amen our whole family spontaneously sang the Doxology, "Praise God from whom all blessings flow", a tradition that has been around for as long as I can remember. I don't think I could get a recording of that hymn that sounds better, or more joyful, than the Kirkegaard clan!


The day that ensued brought Thanksgiving dinner, then 'touch' football at the park (with about forty people the youngest being seven or so and the oldest in his 60s), home for pumpkin or apple pie, turkey sandwiches for seven o'clock supper, and finally lots of goofing around and speed scrabble. The sound of laughing echoed through the house all day long! I love my family and am so thankful for the close relationships that I have with so many of them...even the shirt-tail cousins. It was a fabulous day!