Thanksgiving at the Adult Table

For me, sitting at the kids table at Thanksgiving was not my chosen place. I wanted to sit next to my grandmother. Instead, I was repeatedly directed towards the dreaded kid’s table no matter how many times I tried to sit at the adult table. I had to sit with those “kids” all the time (siblings and cousins) so it was nothing special to me. We either got in trouble for talking too loudly, not sitting down, or worse, flicking food at each other. Sitting next to my grandmother meant I could talk and be heard and not treated like a kid. Since she was the last one to sit down and a slow eater, other adults had already finished eating and there was a short window of time I had to go sit by her at the adult table. Many times, my dad would spot me and he would snap his finger and point me back to the kid’s table. My grandmother would pat my hand and whisper to me that we would have time later. Of course, that time always fell during clean up time. That was the only time washing dishes didn’t feel like a dreaded chore. She would wash and rinse and I would dry and put away. We would talk and talk and talk about everything for a long time because you know what - all those adults at the adult table were nowhere to be found when it came time to do dishes. Sitting with her at the adult table and doing dishes with her afterwards was a wonderful and special treat.

Sitting at the adult table not only meant special time with her, I’m pretty sure the food tasted better and the tea was sweeter. I may not have understood the other conversations going on at the table but I automatically became taller, smarter, and 20 years older just sitting there. Those memories are priceless and I am very thankful for them. I’ve always said I’d never have a kid’s table for my grandchildren because I despised it growing up but looking back, maybe I will. Otherwise, sitting at the adult table at Thanksgiving might not be a special treat and I want my grandchildren to have those special memories forever too.

O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever! Psalm 107:1

Marcia K. Gibney,
Director of Recreation Ministry