Celebrations

This weekend I am posting over at the Pink Heart Society about Holiday traditions. It's a post inspired by our upcoming Thanksgiving in the US.

I think Thanksgiving has been my favorite holiday ever since I moved away from home. While I was growing up, it didn't measure up to Christmas. But once I left, I began to see its potential.

It became for me a holiday of infinite potential. It made me remember all the people I'd shared it -- and my life -- with in the past. And it connected me to those present sharing it with me now and those who would share it in the future.

I use recipes that belonged to my great-grandmother. I have shared them with by daughter and my sons, and I know that they are passing them along as well. I like that about it. I like the sense of handing things on, being a part of something that has meaning and stretches into the past and the future both.

Of course there are plenty of other holidays that you can say the same thing about. But I'm fond of Thanksgiving because while the sense of thanksgiving in general can be shared with people around the globe, Americans have a historical identity tied up with its celebration as well.

We are immigrants -- even those of us with American Indian ancestors -- and our ancestors, even those so far distant in time that we don't even know who they are, came here with hopes and dreams and determination. We share that sense of being able to make a new life in a new place. We share a sense of gratitude for the opportunity. We share hope for the future. And we share connections to the past, to the present, and to each other.

As a writer I celebrate connections -- to my wonderful readers, to so many fantastic writers who have come to be my friends. I share with all of you the joy of story, of hopes and dreams and happy endings.

Thanks for being here this year. Stick around. I hope we will share many more.