“I just wanted to sit in your lap.”

Thanksgiving in a pandemic. Meg roasted a turkey and made broccoli cheese casserole. She skipped homemade gravy and followed Granny’s recipe (it is best when poured out of a can!). Pink stuff was door dropped in advance. Then our family of six sat down to feast. A stool was set at the table with my computer and the rest of our family arrived via zoom.

After the meal we continued the zoom with pie and moved to the living room. I linked the computer to the TV and everyone tried to talk at once. It all seemed closer to normal. Then Ezekiel – who was all over the place – sat down in my lap. Yep. Right on my pie. Chaos and laughter ensued… then laundry.

That describes this year. We just want to sit close to friends and family, but everything is a mess. We could cry or laugh. Probably both. But working together we will come out the other side. And we will have new stories to tell at future Thanksgivings. Gatherings where everyone is talking at once and we will tell about giving thanks during the pandemic. And also give advice for how to get pie out of seat bottoms!

---

I hope you will join us at 10:30 this Sunday, online or in-person with masks. It is the first Sunday of Advent and we will light the Candle of Hope. I also encourage you to light your own Advent Candles, click the picture below to download the readings I wrote.