Day 700 -- My Thanksgiving Mentors

When I first read this title, it looked like My Thanksgiving Mentos.  This is not a post about chewable mints, people.

I always stress out a little bit (okay, quite a bit) about cooking THE turkey for our Thanksgiving meal.  I mean, that's a big deal for this domestically-challenged girl.  Every year I freak out that it will be underdone and everyone will end up with salmonella poisoning or it will be overdone and we'll be sitting around the table like the Griswold's in Christmas Vacation

This is the fifth Thanksgiving I've hosted, and I can say that I am becoming decidedly more comfortable with the process.  I didn't even do a "practice turkey" last week, as I've done in the past -- much to Colby's chagrin.

Today, I had the chance to reflect on my growth over the past five years, and I realized that much of my success is due to the nurturing and encouragement I've received from my Thanksgiving Mentors.

This is the title I'm giving my mom and her mom, who I call Grandmommy.  My Grandmommy is the one who first showed me how to prepare a turkey and how to make gravy from scratch.  These ladies are also the ones who have taught me not to get too hyper about presentation and that stuffing from Stovetop is the way to go.  They have taught me about how to make good tasting food, but perhaps more importantly, they have taught me how to not sweat the small stuff.  I'm thankful for the wisdom they've shared and the patience they've shown.

Every year, they help me in the kitchen and make just as much (or more) than I do to put on the table.  It wouldn't be Thanksgiving without my mom's baked beans or my Grandmommy's peas and peanuts.  We wouldn't have any dessert either.  But I'd miss more than the food if they weren't there.  I cherish the time we spend together and I relax a little more knowing that I have two generations worth of safety net behind me.

On this day of giving thanks, I'm grateful for the lovely ladies who paved the way, showed me how it's done, and who continue to encourage me in my efforts to bring our family together around the table. 

Thank God for my Thanksgiving mentors!

Lord, thank you for my mom and Grandmommy, who taught me everything I know about hosting and preparing Thanksgiving dinner.  Thank you for a day full of love and laughter.  Thank you for providing us with the means celebrate and for giving us the people in our lives to celebrate with.  In your name I pray, Amen.

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