It’s all gravy when it comes to giving thanks

Everyone has a favorite item on the table at Thanksgiving. Some like the stuffing. Others go for the cranberry sauce. There are those of us who save room for pie.

Our younger son simply wants Grandma’s mashed potatoes and gravy. It’s his absolute favorite.

I don’t think there’s any secret to how my mother makes those potatoes. I don’t mean to downplay her cooking, which is exceptional. Still, as far as I can tell, she’s simply boiling potatoes and mashing them with a splash or two of skim milk.

It seems to be the gravy that is key. My mother uses the drippings from the turkey pan, adds some flour and water, and somehow cooks a delectably rich brown gravy that would transform any dish.

Last Thanksgiving, our son had a terrible cold, so we couldn’t go to Grandma and Grandpa’s for Thanksgiving dinner. He might have been disappointed to miss seeing his extended family and cousins, but he didn’t say. What we did know was that he was crushed to miss out on the mashed potatoes and gravy.

I tried making gravy and came up with a pale, lumpy concoction that was destined for the drain.

Fortunately, my mother knew how much her grandson loves her gravy. She made extra and sent him a jar full of some of her liquid gold. He was overjoyed.

In some ways, our son made out better than if he had attended the turkey day feast at my parents’ house. He sat in the comfort of our living room, enjoying spoonful after spoonful of the gravy and mashed potatoes he had been waiting for all year. Who needed turkey when the gravy was that delicious?

When we pause to reflect with gratitude on all we’ve been given over the past year, I imagine our lists are long. We are thankful for our health, our families and friends. We might list our jobs and opportunities we’ve had to travel or spend time with people we love over the past year. We can’t help but marvel at God’s extraordinary creation that we get to enjoy and all the wonders of the world around us.

But we have other more ordinary blessings that we encounter every day. I love to think that along with the most significant gifts in our lives, we have smaller ones that are reminders of God’s deep and abiding love for us. After all, God knows better than anyone what brings us a little extra happiness each day. He wants us to be happy. And he knows how much we like the gravy.

Because God loves us so much, he likes to treat us to something special – just as our grandmother makes sure we don’t miss out on our favorite part of Thanksgiving dinner.

“God loves us more than a father, mother, friend or any else could love, and even more than we are able to love ourselves,” St. John Chrysostom said.

During this season of gratitude, may you see God’s hand in the greatest joys of your life and know that he was also with you in the challenging times.

As for me, you’ll find me in my parents’ kitchen on Thanksgiving Day. I’ll be hovering over my mother’s shoulder, asking questions and taking notes as she stirs the gravy in a pot on her stove.

My son might be hungry for the gravy, but I’ll be even more thankful if I can figure out the recipe.

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