What Thanksgiving Means to Me

Thanksgiving was never one of my favorite holidays when I was younger. It felt like a dress rehearsal for Christmas and a convenient break from school to prepare for Nutrcracker season. What was taught in school about pilgrims & Native Americans breaking bread together was touching and symbolic. However, it never felt that real to me because 1) as a kid you can’t fully appreciate the realities of immigration into a new continent, 2) I was already an avid turkey eater every other day of the year, and 3) it looked fairly fictional. Perhaps it was the textbook drawings or cornicopia, but the whole scene didn’t capture me the way other holidays did.

Now, nothing sounds better to me than sitting at the table with friends and family and an amazing meal! Thanksgiving has slowly moved up the rankings for me on the holiday roster and I crave knowing more about the realities of the real Thanksgiving harvest in October 1621. I won’t get into a history lesson but here’s what Thanksgiving means to me!

Embracing Outsiders

One of my most memorable Thanksgivings was in 2004. I was in my 2nd year at business school and did not have the will nor the funds to travel from Rochester, NY to El Paso, TX. Both cities, being mid-size markets meant that the airfare was astronomical. I decided to stay put and catch up the many textbooks I wasn’t reading (I was a horrid student) and save money I wasn’t yet making. This decision sounded awesome at first but when Wednesday rolled around and everyone was leaving town, I felt really lonely.

As luck would have it a generous soul and fellow student, Cameron, took me in. He was local and his family was having Thanksgiving just a few minutes away from campus. I’ll never forget the warmth and smiling faces I walked into that day. Truth be told, Cameron and I were not in the same circles at all. To my surprise, business school was extremely cliquey. He was not in my clique at all. However, somehow he found out I would be staying behind and invited me without hesitation. Even though our longest conversation since then had been maybe a few minutes long enough to invite me there. There I was having one of the most revered holidays with he and his whole family and I had the best time!

Before then, I had seen my own family do the same to visiting dancers at my local ballet company that were in from other countries. Ukraine, Mexico, Peru, Japan, you name it, we had dancers from all over. My parents were always quick to extend an invite to whomever had no where to go for the holiday and it was so fitting to share with “outsiders”.I was touched to have someone do the same for me at business school, when I was the foreigner. Today I look for opportunites to do the same as the Native Americans did!

Honoring the Journey

One thing my clueless childhood mind could appreciate was how far people had traveled to come to America. I remember thinking how tired and sick they must have felt. Especially given that I can’t go across town without severe motion sickness! I have great respect for anyone that travels a distance out of curiosity, love or to better their life. How many people stay in one place their entire lives out of fear of the unknown? I don’t know that stats for that. However, I do know it takes all the courage to leave what is known in the name of hope.

Three years ago my mom made a journey to move from El Paso, TX to Chicago, IL. She had lived in El Paso for about 40 years when we begged her to come to live close to us. Miraculously, she made the decision to come and it wasn’t easy. The physical journey itself to come to Chicago was hard, but what was harder was the emotional one. It takes a strong, determined person to adjust to a new environment, culture and every day. On Thanksgiving, that gravitas of adventure and physical/emotional hardship is very present for me. I think back with great admiration at what it must have taken to cross an ocean and several borders. Anyone that takes this type of risk is a hero in my book.

Being Present in Thanks

I talk about this a lot on social and other posts. Being present is one of the toughest things for me to do. However, the only way to be truly grateful is to open your eyes and be present. Putting the phone down during the meal, enjoying the preparation, and embracing family are what it’s about. It is SO much easier said than done. I’ve had jobs where I have to work all of Thanksgiving day. Currently, I work a couple of hours at the studio most years. I actually schedule myself to work so I can get it out of the way and be present for the rest of the day!

Gratitude for Food & Body

Sometimes people get really caught up in how much they ate. It’s so toxic. You see ads about working off the turkey dinner and how many turkey trots to run to burn calories. If you struggle with body or eating issues, one of the best things you can do is volunteer during the holiday. Seeing that others don’t have enough to eat could re-frame your relationship with food.

If you can’t do that, practice gratitude for what your body can do. I love working out Thanksgiving morning, not to punish myself for what I’m going to eat but to connect with my body. When you workout, your mind/body go on a special trip together. Do you ever notice you eat better when you workout? Also, you workout better when you eat well? It’s not a coincidence! Try going on light run, walk or dance class to get the feel good chemicals going and the rest will take care of itself.

Thanksgiving is a great time to check in with yourself and your relationship with food. I indulge a bit more that day. So, it’s also a great time for me to check out how I feel when I eat things I don’t usually eat. Spoiler alert: not great! 🙂

What Does Thanksgiving Mean to You?

Would love to hear your traditons, thoughts or what you’re grateful for! XO, Z