Surrendering Thanksgiving- Part 1

I have an idea in my mind and I'm going to share about it today, and then will post about how the experiment went on Friday, after Thanksgiving is officially over.

Every November for the past 16 years that we've lived in our home in North Beverly, we've hosted Thanksgiving dinner for my oldest brother and his family, plus Jeff's brother and mother and a few assorted friends. The tradition is that later, about 20 more people from Jeff's side of the family show up and we have a Dessert Fiesta. Usually my brother and his family spend the night and we have a lovely visit over breakfast in the morning as well.

Since I'm in the middle of chemo treatments, I decided a month ago that I didn't have enough energy to host overnights this year. My brother and nieces were very accommodating and one niece (thank you, Stephanie!) even volunteered to make some side dishes and coordinate what everyone was bringing for food.

So tomorrow is the big day and I am thinking that I would like to Surrender Thanksgiving, in order to experience what it's like to really LET GO of something into the hands of a power greater than myself. Looking back on my life, I realize that I am more the HANG ON FOR DEAR LIFE kink of person, and I am wanting that to change.

To me, surrendering this holiday means:

1. I will not set the table or worry about who is sitting where.

2. I won't make place cards and obsess over how "good" they are or not.

3. I won't lift a finger (or thumb or hand or foot) in the kitchen. I won't be making, stirring or tasting anything ahead of time.

4. I will enjoy and be vocally grateful for every bite of food that is given to me.

5. I won't pour the water or uncork the wine or worry about the timing of any side dishes.

6. I will sit and relax and chat with Joe and Karen and watch the Macy's Parade on TV while hustle and bustle is happening in the kitchen.


Today, however, I will clear out the dining room and make sure there is room for all 9 chairs. I will be sure that Jeff vacuums the dining room and cleans the guest bathroom, and I will dust the living room. But that is all I am doing.

When I wake up tomorrow, I will be in Surrender Thanksgiving mode. I am hoping that this little experiment will remind me to Surrender bigger things in my life as well, like for instance, my healing, my future, my life.