In my home, Thanksgiving is a BIG deal. Since my college days, out-of-towners who couldn’t travel for the holiday were welcome to join us.  When my children came along, so did my in-laws, visiting from Boston.  And our friends (and their children and sometimes the grandparents, too!) fill the house, everyone bringing their favorite dishes.

Harvey interrupted our tradition last year – but this year we are BACK, baby!

And yet, things are a little different. The house was rebuilt from four feet down. The dining table, no longer an inherited antique, doesn’t fit quite as many- we’ll set out an extra folding table. And now my children are grown and in college – they’ll come home for just a few days (Can you believe that A&M has classes on Wednesday? That’s the day to make pie!) – and perhaps they’ll bring an out-of-town friend with them.

Our lives change… sometimes our traditions hold us steady, and sometimes we twist those traditions to better meet our new realities. When have you made such a switch? How long did it take to feel natural? Did it, eventually, turn out to be delicious?

We’ll explore this idea further in our worship service December 23rd – sharing our stories with one another.

Katy Carpman
Director of Religious Education