Round Our Way

So apparently it’s Thanksgiving. That amazing day where you wear cozy sweaters, eat turkey, and (for reasons I still don’t understand) sweet potato with marshmallows. It’s snowing outside and there’s a warm golden hue to everything inside. I’m not sure if this is correct. Like most things, my understanding of this event comes from movies. I don’t like turkey, but everything else about this seems amazing. I am a winter person. I am a snuggle up and eat comfort food person. I am a person who is living in the wrong city. And lets not forget that Thanksgiving seems to be nicely positioned in that wonderful line up of celebrations that starts with Halloween and ends with New Years Eve (again, I’m making assumptions based on movies).

Although when I think about my family, I really don’t think Thanksgiving would work. I mean, we like cooking and eating and laughing. But we’re not so great with the sentimentality. There’s no way that we could go around the table and say what we were thankful for while still keeping a straight face. My Mum would probably start out by saying that she was thankful for her wonderful children (word!), then the rest of us wouldn’t be able to take it seriously. We would go around the table saying things like ‘I am thankful for the day off work’, ‘I am thankful for beer’, and ‘I am thankful to be the brother without the receding hairline’.

A friend of mine suggested we have an Autumn Soiree, because autumn colours are pretty, dammit! And it’s only fair that we get to drink warm apple cider and eat pumpkin pie just like those northern hemisphere people. I think it’s a fantastic idea and I’ve already started planning for next year.

So as I sit here with the air conditioning blasting and being unable to have that much-needed cup of tea because it’s just too damn hot, I’ll be thinking of all of you who are sitting by the fire dunking your sweet potato marshmallows in hot chocolate.

My brother just walked in the door and handed me a beer. See? We’re that kind of family. For that I am thankful.

Beeeeeeeer! Thank you, dear brother.