Get back to basics this Thanksgiving

By Randy Capps

November has arrived, and with it, my favorite holiday.

While Christmas has closed the gap since I became a father, Thanksgiving has always had a special place in my heart. After all, it has all the warm feelings and family bonding of Christmas without the added stress of gift giving.

Of course, the turkey, dressing and all the other great food options are on top of the marquee, but it’s also the little things like my wife and mother-in-law sitting in the middle of the floor with sales papers everywhere, looking for the best Black Friday deals that always make the day for me.

Thanks to my many years in journalism, during which I worked with folks who were far from home, we’ve adopted an “island of misfit toys” approach to the occasion, inviting people into our home who might not have had a place to celebrate Thanksgiving.

I can’t count how many years in a row I’ve sat next to frequent JNOW contributor Mike Bollinger and eaten copious amounts of food, but it wouldn’t feel like Thanksgiving if we did it any other way.

There’s no doubt that 2020 has been a trying year. We’ve been frustrated, frightened and a bunch of other f-words, too. Because of that, it can be tough for some of us to be thankful.

I always start with the basics. I think of my wife, my son and the fact that I’ve made a career out of something I learned how to do in grade school. I think about the fact that the light switches work, there’s food in the fridge, and there aren’t any holes in the roof over my head.

I didn’t wake up on a tropical island this morning, but I did wake up. You get the idea.

Here’s hoping that all of you, dear friends, find your reasons to be thankful. Happy Thanksgiving!