A Time to be Thankful

Boom Buddy mum, Kim, shares her experiences of a family Thanksgiving.

The Thanksgiving holiday is a time for families to come together. In the USA, it’s about as important as Christmas and celebrated just as much, with families coming together from near and far to eat good food and catch-up. But the reason I like this holiday, apart from it being the first one we shared as a couple, is the sentiment people carry about it. The first time I was in the USA for Thanksgiving, we went to Jay’s Aunt and Uncle's house along with his other family to share a meal and watch football. Following the meal, a book was passed around, and within it, everyone wrote down something they were thankful for that year. 

We often reflect on the year that’s passed on December 31st, thinking about ‘what’s happened’, judging how good or bad the year was, considering key things that happened, and sharing our hopes for the next year. Taking time to reflect and think about what we’re grateful for somehow felt more meaningful. It made me really think about what had happened that year that had really made a difference to me or others around me, the main one being that I could be there celebrating with these people who would end up as my family.

As Thanksgiving gets closer, I start thinking about all the things I’m thankful for. This year, as we apply for the final stage of Jay’s UK residence visa, I’m especially thankful that my husband braved the move away from his family and everything he knew five years ago, so we could create our own family and life together. It also happens to be the time of year that Emerson was born, and next year, his birthday falls on Thanksgiving day!

So my question to you is, what are you truly thankful for over the past year?