What in the world possessed me to make a community turkey dinner here in Tubac, AZ? Oh, yeah, I remember...It was to be a money making event that was to provide a place for people who had no family and wanted to spend time in a lovely environment. The menu was to be a smaller/healthier version of the traditional Thanksgiving Menu. What I was offering was something like this...an Organic Free Range Turkey, roasted garlic potatoes, root vegetable sauteed medley, salad and homemade pie.
What in the heck happened? Only 3 people registered and so I began inviting my friends and with that, something clicked in my brain and the old paradigm, the old model of how Thanksgiving should look quickly came over me! While there were lovely new dishes that everyone loved, the same old traditional dishes were there as well!
I shopped, prepared and cooked for days....By the time Wednesday evening came around, I looked at the 27lb turkey sitting on the counter and announced to my daughter, I’m going to bed! I’m not cooking that turkey! Feeling sorry for the situation I had gotten myself into she offered to help. She said, just tell me what to do. She began making the apple/pecan stuffing and somehow that gave me enough strength to continue. We stuffed our bird and put him in the oven to bake through the night. I woke up at 3AM to the smell of yummy turkey!
I did go to yoga in the morning and then, like many people across America, I worked non-stop until 6PM. Everyone was happy to chip-in, making gravy, whipping cream and cleaning up. I couldn’t have done it without everyone!
Why did I do it....We had the meal at The Floating Stone Inn & Aqua Spa and the owner did a little ceremony with the fire, asking everyone to take a piece of kindling and quickly add them, one by one to the fire, symbolizing the collective energy that we were about to share together and silently reflecting on the things that we were grateful for in our lives. From an elderly Mexican man to 2 young vibrant children and everything in between we were a diverse group.
When I saw and felt the love and gratitude that everyone brought...I knew why I had done it! It was because of LOVE! As many of us sat in the healing hot waters of the spa when all was done the conversation was “This was the best Thanksgiving I ever had!”
It was different/non-traditional but full of wonder, excitement and sharing.
I’m trusting that your Thanksgiving was lovely as well. This is a youtube clip that I loved, maybe you will too! Thank you for being a part of my life! I love you... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXDMoiEkyuQ
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