I sat down with each of my teenagers tonight and asked them individually “Which holiday do you enjoy the most, Thanksgiving or Christmas and then tell me why?” I ensured they did not hear each other’s answers. I thought it would be fun to share their perspective with you.
Bayleigh (18 years old) chose Thanksgiving:
~ “I really enjoy seeing friends & family and celebrating together.”
~ “It’s a time to reflect on everything that is good in your life.”
~ “Thanksgiving is the start of the holiday season. After Thanksgiving we have Christmas to look forward to.”
~ “It’s the only day I can really stuff myself and not worry about it.”
Shelby (15 years old) chose Thanksgiving:
~ “Love spending time fellowshipping and having fun with family and friends. There is laughter, joy, and happiness.”
~ “I think about the reasons to be thankful. Reflect on our blessings and things that make me thankful.”
~ “The Food! I love the food! There are so many flavors and it’s hard to resist. But who cares, it’s Thanksgiving!”
Leyton (14 years old) chose Thanksgiving:
~ “I enjoy family coming together to give thanks. I like Thanksgiving because of fellowship with friends and family. I like the atmosphere of Thanksgiving.”
~ “Food, food, and more food. My favorite food on Thanksgiving is Turkey. My favorite desert is my aunt’s apple cinnamon strudel.”
~ “My favorite time of year because it’s fall, cold, fireplace weather, and football.”
Here’s a little insight into why I think our children love Thanksgiving. They have grown up valuing family and friends. Since our children were very young, our Thanksgiving tradition has been to invite a few families that would be spending Thanksgiving alone because their relatives are too far away. We also invite some single mothers and their children. The Cheek family supplies all the food. We usually start around noon and the fun lasts until midnight. Various activities are scheduled throughout the day like watching the Dallas Cowboy football game, creative activity (this year ginger bread house contest), movie, ping pong tournament, video games, board games, and fellowship. Aina and I are excited to see each year grow in families celebrating with us. This year we will be loving on 35-40 people. We’ll have 3 varieties of turkeys equating to 43lbs of meat! I’m not even going to mention how many different varieties of deserts that will be served. Yikes! As Aina always says…”calories don’t count on Thanksgiving.”
As you can see, we love the atmosphere of loving fellowship. Our children have grown up witnessing their family investing in others by:
Serving
Reaching out to those that would be alone on Thanksgiving.
Giving
Supply more than enough food for all.
Loving
There is an abundance of joy, happiness, and love in the house.
May you enjoy your time with your family being thankful for all God has blessed you with! Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family from the Cheeks!
