Turkey is in the oven and the rest of the house is still sleeping. A fairly odd assortment of guests are due in about 5 hours.But already the memories of Thanksgivings past are here.
While in the Army- I learned how to "make family"- to share holidays like Thanksgiving with those away from home or with no family to share with.
I served in a mostly peace time Army. Started at 18 and retired at 39. After that I spent 10 more years working at an Army hospital. Now- I live in my husbands home town, a struggling old "rust belt" town trying to change it's future.
My first Thanksgivings while a young soldier- sometimes I could make it home to Mom and Dad. But most of the time I couldn't. I always worked in a hospital- and they don't close. I was young and single so-I got to work most Thanksgivings. That's when I started learning about "making family"
You see, I started in the mid 70's-most of my long term patients were Vietnam Vets. They couldn't get home to family either. I generally didn't work all day - just 3 or 4 hours. The first time- I was feeling pretty sorry for myself. I finished what I had to do- and was getting ready to go back to the barracks and mope a little. (I was only 19) As I left-one of the patients- A SSG if I remember right- waved me down in the hallway .
"Could you give me a push to the Mess Hall?" He was in one of those old rattan wheelchairs. Big suckers. Grumbling only to myself, I wheeled him to the elevator and off we went.
Now you'd think I'd have been suspicious- I had seen him navigate that thing like a pro- but I really didn't have anything else to do. We got to the mess hall and I was getting ready to just drop him off.
" Eat with us"
"Who's Us?"
He pointed to a table- with all the patients I had seen that morning.
" I don't know- maybe I should just leave. I don't think I 'm that hungry"
The look I got from him made it obvious that he didn't believe a word I said. So I picked up a tray and proceeded throught the line
And had one of the most memorable Thanksgiving dinners of my life. I got to sit and listen to stories of friends and families- to laugh at jokes, to get seconds for those who couldn't , to talk a little football. I felt like I belonged. I reminded some of these guys of daughters or girlfriends who weren't there. I had fun.
As dinner wore down my SSG said to me
This is what we do- we make family.
Then he smiled and rolled away. It was a lesson I never forgot.