Celebrating in France

Someone in the States once said to me "wait you mean you don't celebrate Thanksgiving in France?" and then she quickly came to her senses and said, "oh yeah right I guess you wouldn't." And then she sat there for a moment mulling it over. I don't think she was stupid. I have the same reaction every year. It seems weird not to celebrate Thanksgiving.

On Thanksgiving day in the US, right before the big meal, Americans always talk about what they're thankful for. I haven't had a real Thanksgiving dinner in about ten years so I haven't had the chance to tell an entire table full of people what I'm thankful for. I do have a blog though so it's kind of like a dinner table.

I'm thankful for my beautiful family, especially my kids who teach me so much about creativity, patience, and unconditional love.

I'm thankful for my husband for taking the time to understand and appreciate me for who I am and for not being judgmental when I don't do something the way he's used to. I know it's been ten years of adjustment for him and instead of being afraid of change he's learned to love everything about me.

I'm thankful for my family in the US who I love and miss a lot this time of year. I have this fantasy that there is a gate in my garden in France that opens up to my parent's street in Florida and I can use it two or three times a month. It's so hard to know that plane tickets prices are constantly going up.

And I'm thankful for my privileged place in the world. Sometimes I ask myself how I got to be so lucky to live in two of the most developed countries in the world. I don't have to worry about food and water. I don't have to feel what must be the worst nightmare in the world for a mother, --worrying about how my children will eat that day. I have everything I could ever want and when I complain about not having a finished bathroom I have to remind myself that there are people who don't even have a home, and some of those people even live in these two developed countries.

Okay I'll sit down now.

Seb is still in China so tonight we're going to do something simple in the dining room. We usually eat in the kitchen because it's easier but the change will feel festive. And as a friend suggested, even if we don't make the whole meal we will have mashed potatoes and gravy in a porcelain dish. I think I have one of those around here somewhere. And like this it won't feel like just any other day.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!