I really enjoy Thanksgiving day. I like that I start it with friends at Salem Mennonite”s auction, and I end it with family. Each year, Salem holds an auction and service on Thanksgiving day. It seems strange that this would have the gumption to continue for over 100 years being that it occurs ON the day of a holiday. But the allure is so great once you start going.
There is a service that starts at 8:45am; this is the first year since having kids that we have managed to make it to that. (I think that might mean that we are on our way to conquering the parenting battle of “getting ready”!) I love this time. It is so different that a church service – there is no agenda/bulletin/structure. It is simply a time for people to share what they are thankful for. Oh, the outpouring of gratitude is so good for us to hear. To hear how God has answered prayers – not always through healing, but through strength, the right person at the right time, support, encouragement, comfort, and so many other ways. To hear how we have been given so much, when it is so easy to always think about all that we want, is what we all need. I appreciate people’s vulnerability to be open, even about battles they are fighting. I think it could last a lot longer than an hour, but that is all we are given. It is a day that should probably happen more than once a year.
Then there is the auction which starts after the service. People from the church have donated items. Some nice carpentry projects were there this year (garden bench, bookcase, redwood table, and more). There was also artwork, sewing projects, blankets, services (handyman, babysitting, etc), and food … lots of food. Most of the items are made by members of the church; sometimes, they are purchased at a store to be donated. When the bidding starts, you need to be prepared to open your wallet. It is not like the auctions you go to to snag a deal. This one challenges you to be more generous. (All the money is divided up between three people, family, or organizations pre-selected; there is one international, one national, and one local project selected.) The past three years, for example, I have battled for an elderberry pie. Every year, I give up when the price reaches $100; I don’t actually know how high my sparring partner (yep, it has been the same person every year!) would go, but that seems to be my stopping point. It is fun to be free to bid like this. The other thing I enjoy is that I do it seated with friends. Sandy is always there with me, and then our group shifts every year – who comes home for the auction, who can find space from their kids to sit and bid, and who we need to catch up with. It is what makes the sale, the sale. In the background of all this, the SYF is selling donuts and fruit and coffee; the kids are being engrossed in crafts and buying things at the “Harvest Store” – a place of inexpensive, but fun things just for them. I say in the background… Jeremy would say this is mostly what he sees of the sale. I ask him what he wants, and he sets me free. In return, he is on daddy watch. I greatly appreciate this yearly gift from him.
From there, we head to my family’s thanksgiving lunch. This is always a good time – food is excellent, conversation happens, kids let loose (thank you, God, for a beautiful day this year to get outside!), and bonds are strengthened. Big fun this year was the zip line – who could pull it up, standing in line to ride it, and racing it to the end. Other big fun – Ben and Steph’s new puppy, Niah. So supper cute and cuddly!
Then, late afternoon, we head to Jeremy’s extended family gathering. This is good, too, but different – the girls are the only kids there. All the other “kids” have grown up. Here the food has been eaten (we scrounge for leftovers or just eat a round of desserts), but we play group games around the table or hanging out on the floor. The girls get spoiled by attention from the cousins at some point in the night. We then return home, loaded down with bellies full, memories made, and a cloak of sleepiness.
It is a good day.
