Twelve months passed and before we knew it, another Thanksgiving holiday was upon us. The kitchen erupted with an echo of joyful noise. I laughed as my sister, Carli, ran dramatically around the kitchen, singing melodiously at the top of her lungs, while being chased by a spastic and screaming eight year old, Caelyn. I tried desperately to get out of their way, carrying my bowl of in-the-making sweet potato casserole. My dad comes running into the kitchen from outside yelling, “Where’s the turkey? I just had it! How could I lose a turkey?” My mom circles around the dining room table one last time, makes sure there are enough festive plates, and begins setting out deviled eggs, sparkling grape juice, and other thanksgiving dishes.
Once all of the food had been prepared, the table was set, and everyone had been assembled, my entire immediate family sat down to enjoy another thanksgiving meal together. It is not very often that all of my siblings and I are home at the same time, so this was a special occasion besides the annual occurrence of the holiday.
Hands held fast, eyes shut firmly, and hearts prayed fervently as my family and I said our thanksgiving blessing. Before my mom could start the “go around the table and share something that you are thankful for” game, Caelyn stood to her feet, grasping something tightly in her hands. My mind flashed back to our first meeting in China as I watched her turn over the small gifts she had in her precious palms.
“Family,” she caught our attention. Meddling with the objects in her hands, she announce, “Take one and pass it down.” She unveiled her gifts- notes. Letters that each read, “Family. Thank you. I love you.” On each letter, she had drawn hearts, crosses, and a picture of our family. My mom then announced that Caelyn had told her earlier, “This is my first Thanksgiving.”
I smiled as I remembered last year’s Thanksgiving in North Carolina. It then occurred to me that my little sister understood Thanksgiving for the first time this year. She’d been telling me all day what she was thankful for. I had played a game of make believe in her pink and purple Fischer Price play house earlier that day, and she told me over and over, “I am thankful for my family!” My sister had been blessed with wisdom beyond her years, which she shared ever-so-sweetly with her family through these simple gifts. I couldn’t help being amazed by Caelyn’s thoughtfulness and generosity. My youngest sister was an inspiration to her family; an encouragement constantly leading me towards
A Thankful Heart.
No comments:
Post a Comment