I see Christmas everywhere, and that must mean it’s time for Thanksgiving. Even though my table is set with turkey motif dishes surrounded by pumpkins, gourds and acorns, I confess the other rooms are spilling over with Christmas decor. This holiday season I found a way to marry the two big events quite nicely for a week or two, and I even spent time with some princesses. Surely that’s something for which I should be thankful!
Amidst the familiar faces of family at this Thanksgiving dinner, all eyes will be on my giant Old World Santa Claus in the center of the table. He’s dressed in muslin and white fur holding a basket filled with the colors of autumn. I think of it as Father Christmas leading us through November and kicking off the start of much merriment.
As the song says, it is the most wonderful time of the year. My thoughts are consumed with tidings of Thanksgiving and the abundance of blessings, large and small. I notice magic in most everything. Just the other day I gathered an armful of wooden nutcracker ornaments in the store, only to discover while waiting in the long line that two were missing arms. Honestly, my first thought was to discard them, but then I realized how special those two armless nutcrackers could be on my Christmas tree. They are perfect because they are not quite like all of the others. It made me pause for a moment to stop wishing I could hug my mama again and instead to be thankful I had arms to hug her for all those years.
I’m also thankful for simpler blessings like “Disney on Ice” with my great niece, long naps with my four dogs, and, of course, my snow globes. The blessings don’t stop there either, because I’m grateful for hot chocolate, silver sequined house slippers and 24 hours of nonstop carols on 105.1 FM.
When we raise our glasses and lower our heads in prayer on this Thanksgiving Day, I will be thankful for the blessing of family, young and old, and turkey … a lot of turkey. When I count my blessings, I will count the love of my life. I will count him twice and thank God for him. While holding my littlest angel in my arms as our eyes were dazzled by all the princesses — Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Belle, Cinderella and Ariel — it was Jasmine from that magic carpet ride who said it best and offered this perfect song to remember now, on Thanksgiving and forever.
Princess Jasmine: “Unbelievable sights, indescribable feelings, soaring, tumbling, freewheeling through an endless diamond sky … a whole new world.”
Aladdin: “Don’t you dare close your eyes.”
Princess Jasmine: “A hundred thousand things to see.”
Aladdin: “Hold your breath, it gets better!”
I met a princess for Thanksgiving, and she reminded me that hope is what it all really means.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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