Surviving Thanksgiving

BY SUZANNE WILLIAMS

Thanksgiving being a one-day event has always brought difficulty for me. This is because, simply put, once I was married, I found myself with too much family. My one, big meal now stretched into three big meals. Need I remind you that, discounting breakfast, there are only two other meals during the day? Suddenly, I had to somehow fit everyone into the schedule.

And more meals meant extra cooking. Dishes had to be fixed to arrive piping hot at a particular place at only certain times. I had to be sure I was smiling and happy for each event, willing to try every casserole or dessert brought, and full of positive feedback. After all, they only fixed that dish once a year. Frankly, by the time I reached the dinner meal, I was exhausted and couldn't care less what my family looked like, much less have any room left in my stomach to force any food into.

Over the years, things have adjusted somewhat. I have learned how to cope, what to put aside, and how to enjoy the day. Here are a few tips from my personal experience.

1. Sit down

Take the time to stop cooking, and rest for a moment. Turn your thoughts to something not Thanksgiving related and forget for at least a few minutes the hectic things going on around you.

Tiara

2. Be patient

Thanksgiving, and Christmas too, for that matter, means dealing with friends and relatives you don't see very often. Their habits and your habits can clash and cause conflict. Determine instead to exercise your patience. You'll find it will make the day go much smoother. You are, after all, only responsible for your own behavior, not theirs.

3. Take photographs

Photograph the food, the location, the people, even the pets. Put on your creative hat and look for unusual angles. Take photos that depict the action. Group things together - the dishes you only take out twice a year, the decorations, or the generations of your family (grandmother, mother, daughter). If you are indoors, use a tripod or a flash. Pay attention to your shutter speed so that any movement blur is minimized.

Harvest Basket

4. Be thankful

Don't forget what the holiday was created for. This is a day to say show your gratitude for those in your life who have helped you. And most of all be grateful for what God has done for you this year. The sports and the food are only part of the celebration. Take the time to pray and tell Him "thanks".

This is my last Pix-N-Pens blog for 2009. They will resume each Thursday beginning in January of 2010. I will continue to update my personal blog (link below) if you wish to continue to hear from me.

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Suzanne Williams Photography
My Blog
Florida, USA

Suzanne Williams is a native Floridian, wife, and mother, with a penchant for spelling anything, who happens to love photography.