This was a pretty unusual Thanksgiving- a sentiment with which I’m sure many of you can agree.
I heard so many people say they were spending the day with either just their household or close family.
I was unable to spend the holiday with family because of quarantine orders so I was able to join a small family of friends, who are like family to me.
There were six of us including them, me and my girlfriend, Wyndi.
With just six of us, we kept cooking small and only had enough food for approximately 16 teenagers-turkey, ham, brussel sprouts, dressing, rolls, cranberry sauce, deviled eggs and several desserts.
The food was all good and I appreciated every bit but the most special to me were the skillet cookies that Wyndi made for me since they are a childhood favorite.
The best part of the day was just the togetherness with close friends (playing cards and sitting in food comas) which made it a little bit bittersweet that I couldn’t be with my family.
It’s been a tough year and the holiday proved a great time to reflect on things to be grateful for even in spite of a pandemic that keeps us at a distance. First, I am grateful for this community. I started my day witnessing countless volunteers preparing feasts that fed more than 600 Dubliners. The sheer amount of planning and people willing to give of their time and holiday was aweinspiring. It was just another example of how people in this community care about each other.
I’m grateful to have a girlfriend who was willing to spend a week with me, helping me with work and who I was able to help as she worked remotely. She did countless little things to help around the house and with the holiday, each one of them very much appreciated.
I am grateful for close friends that feel like family- those that are fun to be around and are ready to help at the drop of the hat (and for which I will glady do the same).
Lastly, I am grateful for my family and their health. Even though they are in quarantine, we were worried that COVID would mean automatic hospitalization due to existing health issues. I haven’t been able to see them for a couple of months but I’m grateful that things haven’t been as bad as they could have.
I’m blessed by so many in my life and looking forward to the day when we can greet each other with a hearty handshake, sans mask.
Gaudette is the managing editor at the Dublin Citizen and can be reached at 445- 2515 and publisher@dublincitizen.com.