by Tracie Moldenhauer

Created on: November 15, 2009   Last Updated: November 19, 2009

I will never forget the Thanksgiving of 1986. I was a hot-shot college sophomore living in a big city college dorm. My family lived one hour away in a town of about 6,000. I couldn't wait to escape small town life and get on with college life. I had a part-time job that I loved. That is until I found out I had to work Thanksgiving. I assured my parents I would be fine alone and that I would enjoy the rest of the day in the big city.

Thanksgiving was a big thing in my house growing up. It really was my dad's holiday. He did most of the cooking and did it with perfection. When I say perfection, I am not talking about Better Homes and Gardens covers with fancy china, cornucopias with flowers and lattice pie crusts. I am talking about turkey carefully tended until brown and juicy brimming with my grandfather's secret stuffing. It was a long process making that stuffing. Dad and mom would cook the giblets and hand grind them with celery, onions, sage, breadcrumbs and broth until just the right texture. To this day, there is no other stuffing that can compare.

In addition to stuffing, my dad was an expert at making dinner rolls from scratch. I can still see his worn out yellow cookbook holding the recipe. My siblings and I would fight for them hot out of the oven and dripping with real melted butter. He also was sure to make real mashed potatoes which were the perfect bed for a blanket of his homemade gravy. No gravy to this day can compare. And of course, no Thanksgiving dinner would be complete without his from scratch pumpkin pie and real whipped cream! With all that, I can't even recall if we had veggies! Who would have had the room anyway?

Back to Thanksgiving 1986. My work day was uneventful. Who would call U-Haul on individually.Thanksgiving, anyway? Sitting at the bus stop, I suddenly felt very alone in the big city. Why did I assure my parents I would be alright? I saw cars of people pass by probably on their way to family gatherings. Stop it, don't cry. Who needs turkey anyway? I will order Chinese when I get back to the dorm!

When I got back to my small room, I felt so empty and alone. I swear I was the only one in the building. Until I heard it knock on the door. It was my mom and dad and brother! They brought dinner to me! A Nesco roaster filled with a perfectly browned turkey and grandpa's stuffing! They had brought the whole meal! I started to cry. It was one of the best Thanksgivings ever!

I learned so much that Thanksgiving. There is nothing like family. It is not so much the meal, but the people who make it and serve it with love. Never again did I think I was strong enough to go it alone. We need people, especially family. Not only do we need them on holidays, but always. I also learned to value traditions and the importance of going the extra mile to serve others. I soon hope to learn to make grandpa's stuffing for my own family!

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