It is the last full week of November, which means that the Thanksgiving holiday is upon us. Thanksgiving has always been a joyous time for me. It is a time to gather with family, spend time baking and cooking in the kitchen, eat wonderful food and take the time to think about the things in my life that I have been blessed with and am thankful for.
Living in Belfast though, Thanksgiving feels much different. Beside the fact that it is not celebrated in Northern Ireland, it feels different because of being so far away from the family that Karl and I normally get to be around during this time of year. I am going to miss not getting to spend Thanksgiving day with our family back home, but am embracing the new experience of the holiday away from home.
This Monday I was blessed with the opportunity to experience Thanksgiving in a totally new way. The day started out with our weekly meeting with Doug and the other YAV's in city centre. Doug planned a wonderful, Thanksgiving related exercise for us to do. We talked briefly about the history of the Thanksgiving holiday - the celebration of a successful harvest and the help of the Native Americans who aided the Pilgrims in surviving and getting along in a new territory. Doug then asked us to draw a parallel between the Thanksgiving story and our own story of living in the new territory of Belfast. He had us write down the names of local people in Belfast who have helped us to settle in and survive in our new home and work environments. I started writing down the names of all of the people who have made an impact on me and who have helped me to feel at home since my arrival at Whitehouse Presbyterian and was overwhelmed at the length of the list! Whitehouse is a church that is filled with so many caring and generous people who are willing to give of themselves in order to spread the love of Christ. I am tremendously thankful for all of the love that they have shown me thus far.
Monday night is Girl's Brigade, and the captain planned a special Thanksgiving dinner in honor of me. All of the past GB captains and leaders were invited, and the girls of the GB helped to prepare a delicious buffet style meal for us. During the meal, I shared a little bit about what Thanksgiving means to me and about the traditions of my family. The food, company and setting of the meal were not the same as a normal Thanksgiving dinner, but the warm feelings of thankfulness and family were present. As I sat at the table with all of the other GB leaders, I felt like I was in the presence of family and felt loved. From start to finish, Monday was a day to be thankful and a day to reflect on just how blessed I am.
This Saturday, Doug and Elaine are hosting all of us YAV's for a Thanksgiving dinner...complete with all of the traditional fixings. Again, it will be difficult not getting to spend Thanksgiving with our family at home, but I am excited to sit down for a Thanksgiving meal with our YAV family.
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