“The Missing Sock”

Family, Food and Football are three of the reasons that make Thanksgiving my favorite holiday/day of the year. I get so excited for the day, always have. A smile is at the corner of my lips as I think of Thanksgivings gone by and those to come with my young family.  The day is about family and all the joy and anxiety that those relationships bring to our lives. It’s about food and the pleasure and gratitude we receive from a meal prepared by and shared with those we love most. Lastly, for me and many other families the day is about squeezing in as much of the 3 football games we can between our meals and our time with loved ones.  I have many fond memories of Thanksgivings gone by and the meaning of those memories have changed as I have grown older and gained “perspective”.

In 1979, I was 6 years old. It was a cold November morning, colder than most by Seattle standards. In fact a very rare blanket of snow covered the ground this Thanksgiving day. My family was hosting a big party. I was so excited. My mom had bought me a very stylish (for the time) powder blue, three-piece suit with matching patent leather loafers and white sanitary socks. I don’t know if was more excited about the party or getting to wear that ridiculously awesome outfit. I woke up seeing the fresh snow and my suit hanging on the closet door handle and a thrill of expectation raced through me. I decided that I should put the suit on for breakfast and wear it all day. As I put the pants, shirt and vest on I realized that I only had one sock in my shoes. The reason we bought white socks was because they matched the pearl buttons on the vest. I needed to find the other to complete the ensemble. This was a job for Mom. So I crossed the hall at 6am and entered my parent’s room without knocking of course. My parents were awake and wrestling on the bed. They were giggling and rolling around and then I looked closer at the jumble of blankets to see that my Dad was biting my Mom in the stomach. She started to groan from the pain of the bite. I was very scared and confused. I left the room undetected and closed the door. I ran the three steps back to my room and sat on my bed and began to fume with anger at my Dad for biting my Mom like that.

Mom helped me find the sock when she emerged from the room some time later. I was concerned about her but she seemed fine, happy really. What a trooper she was. The memory of what I had witnessed stayed with me all day and I ignored my Dad at every opportunity. By the evening the party was in full swing. A full feast was on the table, with turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes covered with crispy marshmallows and all the fixings. I love the flavors of the day too much really. Gravy shots anyone? After dinner my cousins and I made a snowman in our back yard. My pants got soaked up to the knees but there was no way I was changing out of that suit. A poker game was roaring in the kitchen when we came inside. After warming up a bit all of the kids got a craps tutorial from my Uncle Tom. I won a dime! It was a great day. As I finally settled into bed well past my bedtime, with the din of the card game floating in under my door, I drifted off with a smile.

Fast forward some thirty years and there have been many great memories of my favorite day, so many that some start to fade. It’s funny what triggers memories long forgotten. A few years ago I was doing a warm up for a play with my cast members. While doing a breathing and visualization exercise the memory of that day came flooding into my mind. For the briefest of moments I remember feeling the sting of seeing my Dad “hurting” my Mom like that. Then as my adult perspective brought clarity to what I had actually witnessed I burst into laughter in the middle of the quiet meditative exercise.  Being in a theatre full of actors, I had to share my story. It was a hit to say the least. No wonder my Mom was in such a great mood when she was helping me find that sock!

I am very thankful for the many friends I have reconnected with this year and the many new ones I have made. I am thankful for my Mom and Dad who have been great guides for me in life and as a new-ish parent. I am thankful for my P.A. family which I learn so much from. I am thankful for my writing partner Chris “Cheese” Shutzer. I am thankful to you for reading and sharing these silly stories. I am thankful for my amazing and healthy children. I am thankful that I married Elizabeth Cronise McLaughlin. She is my greatest teacher and I am so excited to be sharing another Thanksgiving with her and our family. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!

Bring on the grub!!!

No Recipe this week- I’m too busy cooking ;)