A few falls ago I wrestled an English born and raised turkey into a English oven for an American Thanksgiving.
My sister-in-law, Tiffany and I, even if it killed us, were going to create an American Thanksgiving for our families the first November that they lived near Cambridge, England.
We had packed cans of cranberry sauce and pureed pumpkin into carry-on bags, packed our kids into an overnight plane and trekked the Atlantic headed for Heathrow in mid-November. It was their first real holiday away from the States and we were going to be there with them.
This was before they’d discovered the convenience of the American grocery store at the US military base several miles away. Smooth peanut butter and pumpkin would have been easier found there, but cans that I’d personally carried across the ocean somehow seemed more hard earned.
My luggage held recipes for stuffing and green-bean casserole, and large poultry roasting bags too. We took far too long pushing a trolley through the Tesco the night before Thanksgiving because we were drunk on the day’s busyness: sightseeing and wrangling 3 kids, 1 toddler and an infant between us.
We piled in canned green beans, fried onions {I could not BELIEVE they carried those} and of course, a turkey. Here’s for hope we can try to reproduce Thanksgiving the way we remember it here in another place.
The next morning we wiped off kitchen counters, emptied a dishwasher and put the husbands in charge of all the kids while we attempted cooking a complete meal in a kitchen with unfamiliar temperatures on the oven and unfamiliar measurements on the measuring cups.
“Let’s just do it,” I told Tiffany.
She laughed as we guessed on pretty much everything. While the rest of England worked a full work day, we enjoyed a holiday meal and thanked God for stuffing and turkey and pie that tasted a shade off of customary, but good even so.
Let’s do it, we thought as the four of us fought commuters on the train the following day into and back from London.
Let’s do it, we said as we drove into Cambridge in the freezing sleet and tried to watch the Christmas parade.
Let’s do it, we told the kids, as we shot off late Guy Fawkes Day fireworks in the park near the house. High and bright in the darkness, the flares shone as we shivered with sparklers in our hands, a frozen “Fourth of July” in late autumn.
Let’s do it.
Let’s not let fear or inability to see the end of it stop our wonder at adventure. Let’s never let adult-sensibilities stop us from venturing into the unknown or the scary because we’re “just too grown up” for that. Let’s fail at a recipe, jump into the cold ocean, get our toes dirty in the mud because we’ve ran outside without shoes. Let’s take the commuter train to London.
Let’s jump in the leaves, throw snowballs, and spend an afternoon on the floor doing nothing but playing horses with our four-year-olds.
Let’s not allow fear or inconvenience to stop us.
What are you going to do today that fear or inconvenience has stopped you
from doing in the past?
By Sarah Markley, The Best Days of My Life
Leave a Comment
Leanna says
Wow, through the tears I am laughing. Laughing because my family and I currently live in Turkey and I can relate to everything your post said. From the unfamilar temperatures on the too small oven to not having the familar “Thanksgiving” feast ingredients. We decided to throw caution to the wind and travel this Thanksgiving in our new home country. Maybe I will muster up enough courage to wrestle with a Turkish turkey!
mary kathryn tyson says
omg, sarah.
i love this. i love the story and the message.
happy thanksgiving!
xo
deidra says
This is sweet, Sarah.
This gift of jumping in with both feet…so sweet.
The casting off of fear and inconvenience…
Let’s have more of that –
more letting go,
more jumping in,
more laughing in the rain…
Yes. Let’s do it!
I Live in an Antbed says
Perfect!
It is so easy to get to the point where I want to follow the path of least resistance. Thankfully, my husband and seven children keep us all chin deep in adventures!! 🙂
Mel's Goin Goin Gone says
I know God has been leading me to write from my heart this past year or more. Not only that but to be completely honest with my readers. The world could use more honesty and maybe we could kill some of the lies Satan feeds us if we knew others struggled with the same things.
Nicole says
What an inspiring post!!! Thank you! I dream big and sometimes I get discouraged when a little thing goes wrong and sometimes I want to throw in the towel but we keep going into the unknown with hope! I love how you said not to be “too grown up”, I agree what is fun about that!!!
Living the Balanced Life says
We lose that as adults, that non-fear of just doing it! Sounds like an awesome Thanksgiving!
I am working towards building a blog/business and increasing my writing, even though I am scared to death! But, I am doing it anyway!
Bernice
http://livingthebalancedlife.com/2010/is-drinking-coffee-adding-to-your-stress-level/
Galen Pearl says
Okay, you’ve got me fired up! I’m going to start training in earnest for my black belt in taekwondo. I will be 59 in January. Practicing taekwondo the last few years has been a great way to stay in shape and feel strong. The black belt test is quite demanding and I am a long way off from being ready. I reckon it will take me about a year of serious training. But you have inspired me. I’m going to do it!
And no, I can’t beat anyone up, although my daughter’s boyfriend thinks I can and I let him think that!
PS–Your post reminded me of my first Thanksgiving in Thailand. I think I will blog about that today. So see, you have inspired me in many ways. Thank you!
Amy says
Such a great post today – with words that are challenging my heart in just the ways it needs it. THANK YOU!!
Jamie says
this touched me today, thank you!
Lisa H says
What am I going to do today that fear has gotten in the way of me doing in the past?
I did it already.
I went to my last psychologist appointment. Should be a great experience right? Only its my last appointment because she is closing her practice Dec. 1st. She is moving to Alaska. The timing is perfect because God had us work through and ”resolve” a lot of issues and I just need to rest for a while where I am at. This was what she called for me a ‘good’ goodbye. None of the good that has been accomplished in our appointments can be tainted by this goodbye. This is not an abandonment, this is not a betrayal. This is simply a goodbye for now, a see you later, a we will meet again.
I do not remember very many ‘good’ goodbyes in my life. I usually run the other way if I know its going to happen, I stick my head in the ground so I dont have to watch it happen and then hope I wont feel it either. I felt it today. But, I was there-sort of, I was quite detached during the appointment. Trying so hard not to feel it, trying so hard to ignore it but I cant.
I am left with wondering what will I do now with my Wednesday afternoons? And I am left with knowing I didnt run away from it. And I am left with feeling the sadness.
A very confusing place to be tonight.
Lisa
Suanna says
I made a homemade pie crust for our pumpkin pies. The last time I made one was 7 years ago and I was crying over it cause I couldn’t get it to work. Then my wonderful husband helped me finish it.
Abby says
I love this too…I have spent two Thanksgivings overseas, but without kids, but Lord willing next year and many in the future will be spent in Eastern Europe. I embrace all that you write and it is encouraging and inspiring…be blessed:):):)
Holley Gerth says
Oh, you, woman of courage, fellow leaper of faith, friend of my heart–thanks for always bringing us to the edge and yelling “jump!” in a way that replaces fear with joy and we SOAR. Missing you tonight…
GentlyEccentricMum says
This has been once of my favourite blog posts all year! Much as it is important to stand shoulder to shoulder with those suffering, I love that you had fellowship in celebration too! Celebrating is the lost spiritual discipline. Hey, it says to “Laugh with those who laugh” as well as to “weep with those who weep!”. I like the bit about facing fear too but it was the purpose of your trip that really inspired me.
I also loved it because we are a British family living just outside Cambridge. We celebrate Thanksgiving every year, not because e have any American connections but because we think saying thank you is a great excuse for a party. We had our Thanksgiving meal last weekend which explains why I’ve already blogged about it here: http://laundryinthetemple.blogspot.com/2010/11/case-for-british-thanksgiving.html
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and thank you for your post on a day that’s all about giving thanks!