Assignment 14- My Thanksgiving- Hayden Caldwell

While the stock image of Thanksgiving is quite close to a picture of my Thanksgiving, family traditions make the holiday special for me. I’ve always loved Thanksgiving because it represents one of two times a year I get to see my entire extended family. Fortunately, I really don’t have a crazy aunt or uncle or a mean cousin; I really enjoy being around all of my family. We have two Thanksgivings, one for each side of the family. On Thanksgiving, we go to Floyds Knobs, Indiana (just North of Louisville) to celebrate with my mom’s side of the family. That morning for the past five years, I have run a race called the Fast Freddie’s Festive Five Mile Foot Feast (a mouthful, I know) with my mom and her cousin. I run not only for the tradition aspect of the race, but it holds a special place in my heart because a portion of the funds from the race will go towards research for type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune disorder my youngest sister was diagnosed with three years ago. After a shower and a snack, I will usually watch the Thanksgiving Day Parade with my sisters and then the football game on at noon. Finally, lunchtime arrives. At the table there’s turkey, ham, macaroni and cheese, green beans, stuffing, dinner rolls, mashed potatoes, and so much more. My grandma and her husband are excellent cooks, so this meal is usually the best I will have all year. After a couple more hours of watching football, we’re on the road back home. The next day we travel up to Dry Ridge for my dad’s side of the family’s Thanksgiving. This one is more of a potluck, so everyone brings their specialty. A particular favorite of mine is my uncle’s country ham. Much of the rest of my day is spent catching up with cousins from all around the country and entertaining my older cousins’ children. Right before sunset, all the guys in the family head outside and throw some football, my favorite Thanksgiving tradition. Overall, Thanksgiving is a fantastic holiday marked by family and tradition for me.