( Intermediate level )
At the Smith family home in Boston, Thanksgiving time was always a joyous time of the year for our family. A time that we all looked forward to.
For the adults, it meant it was the time of the year where you could have a few days off from work and spend time with the family.
As for the children, it meant not having school for four to five days and eating so much food to where you thought your belly would explode.
Once we moved away, Mom made us promise that we would have Thanksgiving and Christmas at our parent’s house. Like many Americans, we move out of our city or state for better opportunities, so we’ve kept our promise to our parents every year.
Boston held so many memories with each of us. Our first day at school. Our first date. Our first car. With two active boys, there was always some type of activity every day.
The winters were cold but we looked forward to snow. Since the roads were unsafe after a fresh snowfall school would be canceled. The school buses were unable to run their routes. This always meant a day of making snowmen and having a snowball fight.
This Thanksgiving was not going to be the same for any of us. Instead of going home to celebrate, we were heading home to help our Mom and see our Dad, who was admitted to the hospital after his third heart attack.
Dad is a strong man but also stubborn. The doctors had told him over the past few years that he must slow down and take care of himself.
After his first episode, the doctors told him his heart was weakened and he must change his behavior. He took care of himself for a short time then he slowly slipped into his old habits.
We had arrived home within one day of each other. Each trying to lend a helping hand. Mom was keeping her emotions bottled up. She knew she had many things to prepare for tomorrow’s feast and still had enough time to go visit dad in the hospital before visiting hours ended.
After many hours of baking and preparing, Mom headed to the hospital while the rest of us stayed behind finishing what we could. We told stories of Thanksgiving’s past to help the time go by.
Each remembers their version of the story. Laughing at how each story varied. Like the time someone forgot to turn on the oven and we had a turkey-less Thanksgiving.
The evening grew late and Mom had returned from the hospital in a wonderful mood. The doctor said Dad would be released early tomorrow morning around seven so he, too, would be able to enjoy Thanksgiving with the family.
The news couldn’t have made the Smith boys happier. This would be the best Thanksgiving ever. Everyone headed to bed after hearing the good news. There were lots of things to get ready in the morning.
Morning came and to everyone’s surprise, Mom had planned a huge breakfast. Pancakes with maple syrup, sausage, and scrambled eggs. Freshly squeezed orange juice sat in a glass pitcher.
Mom woke at four in the morning feeling very anxious. She wanted this day to be perfect. Not only did she have her children home but her husband was coming home from the hospital.
Breakfast was full of laughter. Everyone is enjoying the moment of being together. People’s lives become busy and sometimes forget how important family is.
Mom left for the hospital as the siblings cleaned up the kitchen. Everyone could enjoy a quiet lazy morning before they had to start the final stage of their Thanksgiving day meal, the cooking of the turkey and all the fixings.
Dad arrived home and immediately was showered with hugs and kisses. He didn’t really care for all the fuss they were making. He was happy to see them all under one roof again.
The rest of the morning was peaceful. Dad sat in his favorite chair just watching everyone prepare the day’s feast. He smiled and chuckled to himself when his wife scolded their son for tasting the food before they sat down at the table.
It was time for everyone to sit down and eat the great meal that had been prepared. One long-standing tradition, before eating, was for everyone to say what they were thankful for.
One by one everyone spoke. Some were silly on what they were thankful for and others were more serious. Then it was Dad’s turn to speak and all eyes were on him.
“I am the luckiest man on this earth. I have two wonderful children and a loving wife. And for some reason, I survived three heart attacks. Maybe my time here, on earth, is not done. I guess it is time for me to pay attention to my doctor. So, today, I am so thankful I was given another chance to sit down with my family and enjoy their company and this terrific meal. Now dig in!”
At that moment everyone cheered and started passing food around the table. The laughter filled the room and the boys told more embarrassing stories of their youth. Dad looked out at his family, from the head of the table, and whispered, “Happy Thanksgiving.”
Written by :Angel
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Vocabulary:
joyous – adjective: full of happiness
opportunities – noun: a chance
memories – noun: remember
routes – noun: a way to a destination
stubborn – adjective: difficult or determined
weakened -verb: make or become weak
feast – noun: a large meal usually for a celebration
version – noun: story or account of activity from a particular person’s point of view
varied – adjective: different types, showing variation
pitcher – noun: a large container used for holding and pouring liquids
anxious – adjective: worry, unease, or nervousness
siblings – noun: a brother(s) or sister(s)
showered – verb: showing love and affection
all the fuss – noun: the condition of being excited, annoyed, or not satisfied about something
under one roof – idiom: all in one location
peaceful – adjective: free from any annoyance or disturbance
thankful – adjective: pleased
Question ( s ):
If your country doesn’t celebrate Thanksgiving, what special holiday do you celebrate where all the family gather and share a meal? Can you tell us about it.
Do you have any special Thanksgiving memories?
