Thanksgiving is usually a holiday where family members from all over gather around the table to share how thankful they are for life and each other. It is usually the day where my mother slaves over the oven baking the turkey, my grandparents set the table and my siblings and I play card games to stay out of trouble.

This of course, would be like any other year. However, this Thanksgiving will not be the same.

Coming from a larger family, it is normal for us to hop around during the day to visit each house on my parents’ side and say hello. I have always enjoyed this tradition of ours because it is hard to keep in touch with family that isn’t considered immediate, due to college being time-consuming during the semester. Thanksgiving is usually the day for this because Christmas is a little more hectic to try and set up these greetings.  Now, because of the ongoing pandemic, this is simply not an option.

We will only be visiting one side of the family in hopes of limiting the possible spread of COVID-19 among family members. We all come from different areas of life during the week, myself from college and my parents from work, so the chances could be likely. This also applies for the older generations, such as my grandparents who are high risk.

Ever since I was little, I have looked forward to going to my grandparents house to spend time with them. Now, it seems that the only option to have some sort of interaction would be to have a drive-by, where we will just wave to one another. It’s just not as personable anymore.

It is crazy to reflect on past holidays and how much was taken for granted, just by sitting at the table together sharing bread rolls. If I could go back to last year’s Thanksgiving to tell my past self to be a little extra thankful for those moments, I definitely would.

This year has been a wake-up call, and I feel that this nostalgia becomes especially more present during the holidays. The fact of the matter is just that things are not the same, and they probably will not be for a while. It is all about how we can make the most out of life from here on out, especially on days like Thanksgiving.

I am still thankful that my family has been fortunate enough to have good health during this season of uncertainty. I am thankful that there is food on the table this year and for all of the moments I have been able to spend with those that I love.

Although there is still so much to be thankful for this season, there is also the reminder to not take even the smallest things for granted.