Thanksgiving 2023, in Bantam CT

Thanksgiving has been our favorite holiday for many years, primarily because of its focus on family. No one looks forward to the travel or revels in being able to “pig-out” on holiday foods, but the memories we keep are about the conversations and watching the cousins and grand kids evolve. Unlike the other family gatherings, Thanksgiving gatherings reach back to our childhoods and were celebrated with many generations who are no longer with us, but who are clearly remembered this time of year. In Jani’s family, Thanksgiving followed her parents through their numerous moves. There final relocation was to our house, in Bantam, where we have hosted the holiday for the past seventeen years.

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This year, all six Garrison siblings were able to take part, including the oldest, Marti, who flew in from Phoenix. Wyatt and Sara’s family also flew in to join us, from Seattle. Our niece, AnnMarie, in her second year of college at LSU, drove up with her parents from Virginia. Lucy, in her first semester at Mt. Holyoke College, drove down from Pittsfield with her sister Rose and her parents, Will and Cindy. Our niece Ruby and her husband Will flew in from Indiana. Another niece, Kira, in her first year with a law firm in New York City, also made an appearance after being away at law school at Berkeley, California.

Twenty-five of us held hands in a family circle, before sitting down to a traditional Thanksgiving meal that included two turkeys and a tasty array of casseroles provided by aunts, uncles and other family. As usual, everyone pitched in to make it a memorable holiday.

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