So yesterday was Thanksgiving. For 25 years my Thanksgivings have looked like this:
PRIORITY: wake up in time to grab a cup of coffee in my favorite mug, wrap myself and my dog in my favorite blanket and get the best seat on the couch to watch the Macy’s Parade. Do. Not. Be. Late.
Since I’m still in my pj’s 3 hours after I wake up, shower after the parade, put normal clothes on, and start to help Mom in the kitchen since she’s been asking for 3 hours now. No, commercial breaks don’t allow for ample cooking prep, Mom.
Help make everything except for the turkey. That’s someone else’s territory. I’m intimidated by large poultry entrees.
Go make yourself pretty with your chosen autumn-esque sweater for the year. [notice this step is just before guests arrive to avoid Florida sweating due the disappointing lack of delightful fall briskness.]
If we have guests, they will probably be a foreigner or “homeless” friend Mom has taken in.
EAT. Eat so much you can’t eat anymore. And then eat more.
{Weightman Thanksgiving feast consists of turkey, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, homemade cranberry sauce, canned cranberry sauce (you know, the kind that keeps the shape of the can…for Kat), pickles, croissants, 2 kinds of stuffing, etc etc etc…except for that one year we decided to do cornish game hens…it’s just not the same.}
Lay around in the living room and watch football with Dad.
Make fun of the poor souls camping out in front of Best Buy on the news.
Optional: nap.
Eat a plethora of different pies.
Optional: round two of turkey meal snack.
Watch the Packers beat the Lions.
Bedtime after waking up at midnight on the couch.
For obvious reasons, this year looked quite different. My team and I woke up after 2 glorious days in Cameron Highlands (Google it) and hopped a 9am bus for Penang. 5 hours and 3 puking passengers later we joined 2 other teams at the YWAM base on the island and attempted at cleaning ourselves up for our afternoon feast.
40 people and loads of food filled the room for our version of a Malaysian Thanksgiving. Instead of turkey there was chicken and duck. Instead of pumpkin pie there was no bake cookies. And instead of football there was….well, nothing, nothing like football.
But a few things were the same as my previous years of Thanksgiving: we still had too much food, we still had tons of laughter, and we still had family. Just instead of Bruce, Gail, Tyler, Kat & Ethan Weightman they looked like 20 twenty/thirty-somethings drinking out of Nalgenes and donning Chacos.
There was something kind of cool, too. Last year I watched a World Race Thanksgiving featured video. It was a January 2012 squad, gathered around a long skinny table, recording messages to their family and friends of “See you in a week!” and “Love you Mom and Dad!” A year ago that video made me a tad emotional thinking that they were closing out their Race, they were going to see the people they loved the most so very soon. Well, here’s the cool part. I walked into the dining hall last night and immediately saw the exact same setting for that video I watched a year before. The same tree mural was on the wall, the same long, skinny table sat in the center of the room, and a new set of World Racers were coming together for the same holiday as they did.
People always say that we shouldn’t need a holiday to remind us to be thankful for our blessings. I agree, but when that Thursday comes around each year I say we take advantage of tradition.
This Thanksgiving 2013, in Penang, Malaysia, I, Abigail Weightman am thankful for:
- my hardest month of all year in Malaysia
- incredible, incredible lovers of Christ we were honored to meet and work alongside
- CERChurch for extending a welcoming hand and taking such good care of us for a couple weeks
- safe places to lay my head at night, even if there were 10 different places over the month
- God’s provision to somehow stretch our monthly budget into 5 weeks
- no nightmare-ish snake sightings, tiger maulings, Dengue fever diagnoses while living in the jungle for 2 weeks
- safe travels around the country
- difficult but important lessons
- the Father’s limitless love and patience for me
- 50ish members of the N Squad family
- Randy & Betsy Garmon for loving all 50ish of us and walking this journey with us from afar
- Joshua, Kelly & Tiffany for loving all 50ish of us and leading us well
- the opportunity to see, smell, touch, taste & hear the world for 11 months
and last, but not least:
Morry/Molly Anne Williams–for laughing with/at me, listening to me, for baking deliciousness for me, hugging me, sleeping next to me/letting me spoon you, sharing with me, goofing off with me, teaching me, holding my hand while I get my first tattoo, and in general doing life, every day of 11 months with me.
Julie Dickey–for leading and loving me, for yoga-ing with me, for teaching me, for singing George Straight in public with me, for great tea time one-on-ones on your yoga mat, for having faith in me, for sharing 10 months with me.
Melanie Heath–for making me laugh at all times, showing me what humility and thirst for the Lord looks like, for braiding my hair at all times, for encouraging me.
Heather Miller–for inspiring me, for teaching me new things, for strawberry wine and Audrey Hepburn quality time, for quoting Friends with me, for being a crazy strong woman of God.
Steven Buffington–for showing warrior-like passion and gentleness at the same time, for loving God always, for helping me see things outside the box, for obsessing over SEC football with me, for your loyalty.
Jan Thoden–for being a fantastic brother to me when I miss my real one, for listening to me countless times and being ok with me crying, for spurring each one of us on, for teaching me about discipline, the Word, and God’s love, for carrying my pack when I’m frustrated, for supporting me.
Happy Thanksgiving 2013 to all! I hope you’ve spent it amongst the people you love, just like I did.
