Thanksgiving is a special time of year.

Not just because we all get to stuff ourselves into a food coma, but because of whom we get to spend time with as we pile on the carbs.

I’ll admit I feel a little jealous of those who actually get to spend time with their families on Thanksgiving. This is one of the busiest times of year at The Tribune and I just don’t have time to get home to North Carolina for that one day.

And that makes me pretty sad because Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. There isn’t the same kind of pressure associated with Thanksgiving as with Christmas. No presents and singing carols. No expectations. Just gathering around the table with the people you love.

Thankfully, I have some pretty awesome friends who have become like family.

This past weekend, me and a dozen other friends celebrated our second annual Friends-Giving with a pot luck dinner complete with a 22-pound bourbon butter glazed turkey, spiral ham and all the trimmings and spirits.

And for Thanksgiving week, I’ve been invited to two more dinners with a couple of friends and their families.

If I can’t spend time with my own family, I am truly grateful for the opportunity to spend time with some of my best friends and their families.

I never imagined, when I was younger, how much I would miss spending the holidays without my own family. It’s just one meal, right?

I guess some people can look at it that way. But to me, it’s more than just a meal. It’s time to reflect on how thankful I am for the people in my life who have been there through the good times and the bad.

I hope everyone, no matter what plans you may have on Thanksgiving, will take time to tell the people close to you that you appreciate them and that your life is better with them in it.

Happy Thanksgiving.

 

Michelle Goodman is the news editor at The Tribune. To reach her, call 740-532-1441 ext. 12 or by email at michelle.goodman@irontontribune.com.