Friend's Thanksgiving - A New Tradition

In addition to spending Thanksgiving with yourfollowing day (though I was late!!). We began
family this year, why not start a new traditioncooking, preparing the tables, setting up the place
and have a "Friends Thanksgiving?" This is a greatsettings, and laying out the area and activities the
way to spend time with and honor yourkids would engage in. As our friends, their families
friendships, and the families of your friends. As anand their friends began to arrive, it was a joyous
annual event, your friends and their children will beoccasion! Some of us haven't seen one another
excited year after year as the event approachessince last year's Friends Thanksgiving. The kids
and everyone can spend the day together oncegot bigger, some important life changes were
again. My friends have been gathering for Friendsannounced, and we all had a chance to catch up
Thanksgiving for 7 years in a row. Here's how weon one another's lives.
do it.Then came dinner! The food was outstanding this
There is normally a core set of friends that hostyear (as it is every year). We had several toasts,
the event. For me and my friends, there are 4 ofand then we ate our faces off!!! Every year gets
us and our spouses/significant others. We selectbetter and better! Even the after dinner cleanup is
the date and location for Friends Thanksgivinga fun event. We are friends, so we don't leave
sometime in September. We normally have 30 -the cleanup to the owners of the house. We all
50 people present for our events now, so a largechip in and have fun as we do it.
enough kitchen for all of us to cook and prepareThe hard part of the evening is saying goodbye.
food is required. We like to use the Sunday 2It is rare to get all of your friends, their families,
weeks prior to Thanksgiving to ensure everyoneand their friends together in one place on a
is available. In early October, we notify all of ourconsistent basis. The hugs are warm, the tears
other friends of the date and we begin tallying theare streaming, and the love we share as an
guest list. Anyone invited can bring their familyextended family runs deep. As we say goodbye,
and their friends as well. For us, the more thewe all talk about next year, and sharing Friends
merrier!Thanksgiving once more!
As we approach the date, we pick a time toWords don't do justice to this absolutely fantastic
meet at the house the event will be held at onevent. I hope we can do it for the rest of our
the Saturday before Friends Thanksgiving. On thatlives, and that our children will carry the tradition
Saturday, the core set of friends meet. Thisforward after we are gone. For now, I'm happy
year, we met at 3pm. We determine the menu,just knowing that we've already begun thinking
the drinks, and the desert selection. Then, we goabout next year's Friends Thanksgiving.
shopping together! What a great time that is!! WeMy life has been truly enriched by my friends. As
always end up telling stories, discussing issues,we look towards the actual Thanksgiving holiday
discussing our futures, and looking forward tomy thoughts rest of my appreciation of my
watching our children play together as we alwaysfriends, their wisdom, and their undying support of
said they would. We bring back all of the food andall I plan to do. The impossible seems probably
start preparing. As we prepare, we have drinks,with their trust in my vision, and their faith and
play card games, and talk all night. This year weconfidence in my abilities.
ended preparations around midnight.To my friends, I love you and give thanks for
We decided to meet this year at 10am theyour presence in my life!