It's November and yes, we're still on 2020's version of Mr. Toad's wild ride. We barrel through one curve only to face a detour and then a bridge closure. COVID numbers up. COVID numbers down. Harry and Meghan leave England. National election. And now they cancel Thanksgiving!
Okay, they didn't actually cancel Thanksgiving. But health professionals are strongly suggesting that we spend Thanksgiving with only the same people we've been trapped with for the last nine months. This from the only group of people whose job mandates they leave the house.
"We should do Zoomgiving!" the media chirps.
I'm not even going to address that.
Thanksgiving is my "comfort" holiday. Food, football, and sanctioned napping; I find solace in the traditions of the holiday. But, that said, maybe this year gives us the opportunity to break some rules, become sort-of Thanksgiving rebels. Not a turkey fan? Emancipate yourself! The New York Times offers a list of Thanksgiving main dishes that aren't turkey. Who knows, they could be great. And, if they're a disaster, you can just blame 2020. One more story for the yearbook.
Then there's the whole "no one eats dressing/cranberry sauce/mashed potatoes anymore" thing. I get it. Thanksgiving dinner has evolved and is no longer a homogeneous menu as our food awareness has expanded to include health issues, aversions, weight-loss diets, and religious beliefs. Two years ago, my son casually mentioned he invited his girlfriend to dinner the night before Thanksgiving. "Oh, and she's vegan," he tossed over his shoulder, leaving me in a kitchen filled with turkey, butter, milk, and eggs. (FYI, Sprouts is open Thanksgiving morning and stocks vegan-friendly foods.) If you are given more than 12 hours, Delish published some Thanksgiving vegan recipes and Taste of Home has 75 recipes for special diets.
If nothing else, 2020 has taught us how to go with the flow. We've conducted middle school chemistry experiments in our kitchens, learned lots of things can be substituted for toilet paper, and seen co-workers and/or their family members in various stages of undress on Zoom calls. Most importantly, we all now have food delivery/takeout apps on our phones. Go ahead. Break another rule. No one will know you didn't cook it, especially if you keep the takeout bags off the Zoom camera.
In all sincerity, the library staff and I wish you a safe and happy Thanksgiving (Zoomgiving). Now go curl up on the couch with a bowl of green bean casserole and relax!
*As a side note, as I was working on this post, I Googled Thanksgiving fails (yes, librarians Google, too) because reading about other people's holiday disasters makes me feel better about my own failures and I stumbled across a list of worse sides ever created. I. WAS. AGHAST. I'm convinced the author must be an orphaned food snob with repressed holiday issues. Who puts green bean casserole on a worst sides list?! Yes, green bean casserole is pedestrian and banal, but every bite is filled with memories of Thanksgivings past. And no one will ever convince me otherwise.