Thanksgiving is going to be very different this year, less people on the couch watching football and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Like everything this year, things are trying to exist, with modifications. The parade will happen, with fewer entries and no spectators. That is still on my bucket list, seeing that parade live and then spending a few days watching Broadway theater. Since the beginning of the pandemic my list for future travel continues to grow, there is so much of the world near and far I haven’t seen yet.
But around the holidays, I like to be home, and this year home feels a little more empty. There are fewer people around the table. Just yesterday, we lost my Uncle David, suddenly without warning. We are all in shock. Even as I write this I don’t believe it. He loved to cook and entertain the family. He was going to go to my aunt’s house, bringing Thanksgiving dinner for his sister. I still am processing the loss, and yesterday I thought we would just cancel the world out, and not celebrate. But then I realized, that is not what he would do, he brought the family together and loved a party, planned or impromptu. I think I get that from him, This loss makes me realize the importance of reaching out right now, more than ever. So although this year will be different, smaller, perhaps even more nostalgic, there are things that must remain the same, Pie Day.
I learned to bake pies from my mom. Traditionally we make apple and pumpkin, and today will be no different. When my parents split, holidays were initially hard. But right away, one thing that made things feel a little more normal was creating Pie Day. I had friends over, and we baked all day. Pies, rolls, whatever. There was laughter and messy kitchens, some amazing desserts, and some epic fails. But there were always people, coming together over food and fun, and we built a new tradition because I needed it, and I guess my friends did too. As I went to college, got married, raised my family, Pie day withstood the test of time. Now my daughter, grown and married, will still come back today to make pies. We won’t have a group of friends around this year, but instead, we will be delivering treats we make to friends and neighbors because I can’t bear to let this tradition go. I’m not losing one more thing this year.
So whatever you do this week, do something to bring people together. Set your table with beauty, create a special meal even if it is only you or a few at the table. Make that call to family you haven’t spoken to in awhile, even if it feels awkward. Reach out to friends. This is a time when we stay distant to ensure that we are together next year, but that doesn’t mean you can’t call, or text, or talk from six feet. Connect, whether you make a pie or place a phone call.
Today is Pie day, and although I mourn the loss of those not here, I choose to remember from where I come from, a place that invites people in, sit down, have. a cup of coffee and a piece of pie.