It’s the night before Thanksgiving, and I’m sitting on my couch catching up on “Andy Cohen Live” episodes on Sirius XM.
I’ve already eaten a piece of pumpkin pie, and I’ve got okra smothering in the crockpot — I’m making gumbo tomorrow, and the okra has three more hours to cook before I add a tomato to the mix.
Over the weekend, I drove back from Indiana after attending a funeral, and a good bit of my 16-hour drive was spent thinking about life.
I won’t get into too many of the details, but the last few weeks have been a great reminder that gratitude is the answer to so many of life’s challenges.
For me, having a regular practice of gratitude was, at times, the only thing keeping me afloat when I was searching for a job this year.
When it seems like I have lost everything, I can make a list of what I do have, and I instantly feel better. I have my health (so, so, so grateful for this), Blanche has her health (kitty boo), I have food in my fridge, a warm bed, a roof over my head, and a lock on my door.
My gratitude list is often much, much longer, but I’ll spare you — you get the picture.
As the holidays have crept closer, I’ve felt a cloud of dread. The holidays have always been stressful for me, and I feel like, by the time I start to feel bits of joy, they are a few days from being over.
The first of “the holidays” is tomorrow, and the Wednesday before Thanksgiving always has its own kind of energy.
When I was in grade school, it was a great day at school because teachers would often show movies. It was Friday-type energy on a Wednesday.
In college, the night before Thanksgiving is THE biggest party of the year. It often involves your hometown bar and seeing everyone you went to high school with.
As an adult who typically spends Thanksgiving alone (by choice), Thanksgiving Eve doesn’t often have much of an energy to it.
But today, I felt it. Around 1pm, I turned on Sirius XM to listen to John Mayer launch his new channel! I kept the channel on while I worked and even listened to it while I stopped by the grocery (I listened to six entire hours of John Mayer’s channel).
I was proud of myself for even going to the store — I was scared it would be horribly busy — but once I got there, it felt like we were all in the trenches together. Everyone was helping each other find ingredients; I helped someone choose beef broth.
I somehow found the final few ingredients I needed for my gumbo, and I ran back home to finish work. I was still listening to John Mayer, and he was talking about the possible things listeners may be doing in the world, I just had this feeling of being in the moment.
How often do we listen to live radio anymore? I actually do quite a bit because I’m obsessed with Sirius, but still 🙂
As I was working and listening, I was quickly reminded of the holidays in 2020. It was at least a week before Christmas, but Andy Cohen and Amy Sedaris were hosting their annual Holiday Hangout on the radio.
Although, instead of hosting it in a studio with a live audience, the two of them were at Andy’s house. There was a big snowstorm in New York City that night where Andy lives, and I remember the two of them describing how it looked outside as they were inside getting tipsy by the fireplace.
While I listened to them, I was at home, on my couch, with only the Christmas tree lights on, and I was having the best time! It was that whole “alone but together” feeling.
I doubt this story will resonate with many people, but it’s a memory that’s on my mind as I approach the holidays.
It is my goal to press on with gratitude in the forefront of my mind and find small ways — like a live radio show — to bring myself joy in a time that’s typically stressful.
And we start with gumbo.
I used to always make traditional Thanksgiving food, but it kind of became depressing, so I stopped. Now I just make whatever sounds good, and this year, I wanted to put some energy into a dish I’ve never made.
While it may sound stressful, it’s actually fun for me. I learn something new and get to eat something delish at the end.
The start of my challenge was finding all of the ingredients for this gumbo, including the proper crabs! The entire thing takes 11 hours or so, but I’ve gotten a head-start with my okra.
So, all of that to say, I’m wishing you all a very happy Thanksgiving, no matter what you’re doing or who you’re with.
May this be the start of a joyful holiday season for you, and yes, I’m grateful you’re here 🙂
Cheers!
To see more writing from me, be sure to subscribe to The Bitter Lemon by clicking “subscribe” on the right side of your screen. Want even more? Subscribe to my newsletter to get roundups, book recs and lifestyle tips.
The Bitter Lemon 