This year’s Thanksgiving was filled with beautiful moments of family and gratitude. The festivities kicked off with a visit from my parents for a long weekend. As an escape from their cold weather, we enjoyed all that my new, tropical-like locale has to offer. Sunshine and laughter were the primary agenda for each day, and my heart was full as we said our goodbyes, each destined for a different Thanksgiving dinner.
It is my second year celebrating Thanksgiving in this town, and I feel truly embraced by our new traditions and extended family. Sharing meals, sharing laughs, making memories… These rituals ground us in a shared history, and often serve as a reflection point to times gone by. A bite of dressing becomes a time capsule to a past holiday as my taste buds search for the right amount of sage, a trademark of my mother’s southern cornbread dressing (the one with the perfect crispy corners).
Traditions form and fade, but they link one generation to the next, the past and the present.
New traditions include new delicious foods on the table, new friendships to explore, and new ways to experience joy and express gratitude. My new Thanksgiving traditions give me new ways to connect. And, this year, I had an opportunity to share my love of knitting by wearing my cream-colored boxy tee. My husband was a great promoter of my finished garment, and I loved talking about the art and science of its construction.
The idea of heritage crafts has been on my mind for a few weeks, and the opportunity to showcase knitting, specifically, brought me true joy. As I enjoyed spending time with nieces and nephews, I thought about how much I would like to be a part of keeping craft, creativity, and imagination alive in a future generation.
For now, this concept has resulted in a few new hand-knit gifts planned in my backlog. And, secretly, I’ll be hoping the recipients want to knit one day. I’m realizing how much I would love to teach them, and how much they could learn from this beautiful craft.
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