Thanksgiving Eve

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day.

Nothing will be open. The mail won't come. On TV, there will be parades and sports contests for those who are thankful for such things.

In our house, Thanskgiving has to be negotiated each year. This is because our children married other people's children, and all those people expect their children to come over to their house on Thanksgiving. This year, my wife and daughter spent much time on the phone, coming to an agreement. The upshot was, we had our children over to our house for Thanksgiving dinner, two weeks ago. And when the time came for Boompa (that's me) to say a few words for the occasion, I praised wife and daughter for their resourcefulness and coolness aforethought.

And that's why, tomorrow, my wife and I will be having a quiet dinner, by ourselves, with a small, standing rib roast where the turkey ought to be. And we'll be thankful for it.

But the truth is, I have a small problem with the whole idea of thanksgiving. It puts us in the position of giving thanks for being lucky. Lucky to have a family, and a house and a turkey.

But what about the guy who doesn't have all those things? Who doesn't have our wealth, privilege and sense of self-importance?

He may be thankful he's not us.