This was the first Thanksgiving that:
A). I have not spent with at least a few members of my extended family.
B). I made everything from the turkey to the pie.
This year, my parents were out of town, visiting my 88 & 90 year old Nanny & Poppy at their warmer climate home, Josh's parents and now his sister and her family all live out of state. My various cousins and aunts and uncles were also out of town. That left the four of us to have Thanksgiving here, in our cozy little house. I have made dishes to take to different places as a guest, but I have never made everything, including a turkey, but I am not one to turn down a culinary challenge, so I was excited.
I was a little nervous about how we were going to pay for everything, as we have been through a bit of a financial pickle (for lack of a better word!), especially since I have stayed home with Carter, leaving us with only 1 income. We have become quite creative with ways to make our money stretch through the month, although some months I really don't know how we are going to make it, we always find a way. Thank you Lord. Seriously. I started to continue to write more, but really this is its own post. I will have to continue on a different day.
So, the night before Thanksgiving, we went to Whole Foods to buy our vegetables, some baking supplies and to look at their turkeys. I didn't want to make an entire turkey, it was just going to be the four of us & I didn't want to have to fuss over it. I was just going to look at what they had & see what we could afford. When we got there, Josh went to look at turkey, while I shopped for vegetables. A few minutes later, Josh came over with a big bundle wrapped in brown paper. I looked at the price and admittedly, I suffered from shock for a second. It probably wasn't a lot for most people, but it was a lot for us right now. We were going to have to trim our list down so that we could pay for the rest of our stuff. After a slightly uncomfortable discussion, we decided that we simply couldn't afford the turkey and that we would have to take it back to the meat department and then buy the rest of our stuff. I was embarrassed as I walked back to the department to talk to the butcher, but I was sure that they would take it back. I told the young guy what had happened, that we just couldn't afford the turkey, that I hoped it wasn't a problem and hoped that they could still sell it and thank you anyway. The guy said, "no, it's not a problem at all..."
I turned and walked away.
A moment later, I heard him say, "Ma'am? Just a moment."
I turned around and saw him put a sticker on the brown paper bundle. He handed me the turkey back and told me that he had taken care of it and to have a nice Thanksgiving.
It was then that my eyes filled with tears and I said, "thank you. you have no idea how much this means to me and to my family..." It is impossible to describe how much it really meant to me at that moment.
I thought about that Whole Foods employee many times on Thanksgiving (and many times since) and we prayed for him when we said grace that night.
I think that it is so easy to think that the world is going to hell in a handbasket sometimes. I think that is because goodness and kindness and gentleness are quiet things, that don't beg to be noticed or reported. Violence and hatred and arrogance are loud, beastly things that demand attention and we live in a world that gives it to them. I feel very blessed and grateful for the act of kindness that was given to my family. I look forward to paying it forward. I will be able to help a family the way that mine was helped this Thanksgiving and I seriously can't wait!
