Are you ready for this ground-breaking, life-altering statement? Thanksgiving 2023 we did not watch any football. *que the gasps* Some of you have just rolled your eyes or perhaps you’re now questioning whether I was kidnapped or perhaps stranded in the woods with no cell service…I was neither. This past Thanksgiving we decided to join up with friends and have ourselves a good ole’ fashioned Friendsgiving. Our four families met in California and now we are all stationed along the east coast. Each of our extended families are along the west coast so we decided it was more affordable for all of us to split the cost of a house and enjoy the company of each other rather than try to fly home. We agreed to meet in North Topsail Beach, North Carolina (10/10 would highly recommend by the way). We rented a very large home that would accommodate the 10 kids and 8 adults and also be right on the beach…it was a beautiful home! We all arrived on Tuesday evening before Thanksgiving and packed up the Saturday after. It was a quick whirlwind of a week, but we all had a blast. As I reflect on our 4 days together what I remember most was the conversations and hangout time we all had. None of us hid in our rooms scrolling, none of us sat in front of the TV and zoned out, we all were present the entire time. It was a Thanksgiving without football.
Everyone has their own Thanksgiving traditions. Some will watch the parade every year, some will watch football, some will run the local turkey trot, etc. Growing up my family would typically have turkey dinner and then the husbands would all gather and watch the football game or throw on a Christmas movie and fall asleep on couches while the ladies crafted something. It was always a fun day and I have done my best to continue that with our family. This year was different though and I might be so bold to say it was one of my favorite Thanksgivings ever. It was a Thanksgiving without football and distractions. This year there was no football or TV at all. This year it was families playing on the beach, cooking in the kitchen, attempting crafts with 10 kids all under 7, and playing games. Now I can’t speak for the rest of our group, but I didn’t want to zone out or miss any anything. I wanted to be present for as much of the week as I could because I knew how precious that time was. These 3 families that we met in California became our family away from family. We all lived just a few houses away from each other so we saw each other frequently, until PCS season came around…thanks Navy! Besides putting on Christmas shows for the kids to have some quiet/settle down time before bed, all of the adults spent their time with each other. There were conversations in the kitchen, walks along the beach, digging for treasures in the sand, and games played in the living room. I would have never believed you if you had told me that I would spend a Thanksgiving without football or TV at the least. That’s like eating a peanut butter sandwich with no jelly (or honey if you’re in my house), you can do it but it’s not the norm.
Was our Friendsgiving really life-altering? No. But it opened my eyes to the mistakes I’ve been making. More often than not I will tell you that my biggest regret is that I didn’t put in enough effort. I didn’t have enough get togethers, I didn’t call more, I didn’t take enough pictures, or I just didn’t hang out with my friend enough. Every time we have moved or had a friend move away I spiral through the same regrets. Our 2023 Friendsgiving reminded me that all I need to do is practice being present and undistracted and I won’t have so many regrets. Here are some questions for you my friends. Can you imagine spending your next hangout with friends like it was going to be your last? You would probably be more purposeful about your conversations and spend less time scrolling social media or getting distracted. I can only speak for myself, but our Friendsgiving week made me realize how important it is to be purposeful with my time; to treat each encounter like it might be my last, to love people fiercely, to find joy in the chaos, and to be grateful for my relationships. I know it’s hard, especially when it comes to the people you see regularly, but I know my actions are way different when I know it will be a while before I see someone again versus saying “see ya later” to my friend from work. But realistically we aren’t guaranteed tomorrow and we should be loving people fiercely every. single. day. I’m going to repeat that for dramatic effect and for it to stick.
WE should be loving people FIERCELY. Every. Single. Day.
So that has become my 2024 goal. In 2024 I am going to try and love on people and appreciate my time with those around me. The hugs I gave my friends that Thanksgiving weekend are the hugs I want to give every time. The undistracted attention I had during our Friendsgiving week is what I want to give to my kids and family. I need more days like our Thanksgiving without football.
