How To Be Thankful With Your Neighbors - Amy Lively
I got greedy at Thanksgiving.
Not just for juicy slices of turkey and heaping piles of mashed potatoes, or my special cranberry salad – no, I’m ashamed to admit, I got greedy for my family. I wanted them all to myself, so I was a little disappointed when another family was invited to our Thanksgiving table.
Oh, sure – it was the Christian thing to do… they had no where to go and no family in the country… but they weren’t my family. What would we talk about? What if they used whole green beans instead of french green beans in the casserole? You know I have a thing about green beans.
Wouldn’t it be weird to have these new people at our Thanksgiving table?
Go ahead, judge me. I deserve it.
But you know what? That family – those weird people! – they made our Thanksgiving. The were grateful, thoughtful, helpful. Their children brought laughter and light. And they brought an incredible Brussels sprouts side dish!
Now I’m open to opening our home. Our old traditions welcome new people.
You can also invite your neighbors over for a Friendsgiving celebration before the big shindig.
What is Friendsgiving? According to yourdictionary.com –
friendsgiving
Noun: A Thanksgiving feast held by and for someone’s friends. Origin: Blend of Thanksgiving and friends
You’re probably ordering pizza the night before Thanksgiving, and so are your neighbors – it’s one of the Top 5 days for pizza deliveries*. This year, just call it Friendsgiving and invite them to join you!
Friendsgiving can be fancy and traditional, or simple potluck. Millennials love it! It’s low-key and low-pressure, without the stress of travel and the family tensions that sometimes join us for dinner.
There’s something magical – and Biblical – about sharing a meal together. Our forefathers did it, and I don’t mean the Pilgrims!
“They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts.” Acts 2:46
* I know you want to know… the other 4 days are Halloween, Super Bowl Sunday, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
Have you ever had an untraditional holiday that turned out to be one of your favorites?
