Gillian tapped her fork on her glass three times, then laid it down gently on the white cloth napkin next to her plate.
“Mom. Dad.” She was bouncing up and down in her chair.
Her smile faded slightly after a few seconds of waiting for attention. She reached under the table with her foot and tapped her parents’ toes, prodding them to look up. “Mom . . . Dad . . . ” They did. Gillian grinned.
“I think we should give thanks. I want to go first!” Her leg was shaking with excitement under the table.
Gillian’s mother put down her fork and smiled at Gillian, prompting her to start. First, Gillian took a few moments to calm herself. Then, she checked to see if her parents’ eyes were still on her. They were, so she began.
“Today, I am thankful.
I am thankful for this meal Mom cooked.
The stuffing, the cranberry sauce, and everything else.
Of course, it doesn’t have everything I wanted,
But this only teaches me to appreciate whatever I do get.
I am thankful for both my mom and my dad.
You may bicker and butt into my life a lot,
But deep, deep down I know you’re just trying to make things better for me
And you can’t blame someone who’s trying their best.
I am thankful for our house, rustic and homey.
It may contrast from the spacious houses of my friends,
But its crown moldings and marble countertops are warm and familiar to me
And its cozy cottage charm fits perfectly with the forest in our backyard
I am thankful for our horrible Wi-Fi
And the malfunctioning AC in my room
Because for a whole week, I was forced to get over myself, step outside,
And find entertainment in the real world
I am thankful that Dad didn’t let me buy an electric guitar because there wasn’t enough space for it in our music room.
From this experience, I learned to make do with what I have,
And appreciate the music that already exists in everyday life.
I’m thankful for the dog I had for two and a half weeks last summer for being really soft and cute.
But I am also thankful that Mom and Dad forced me to return it to the breeder.
I felt for the first time the pain of having something you love ripped away from you
And now I know that if I ever have to face grief or loss in the future, I will not have gone into it blind.
Life can be fleeting, unjust, and full of obstacles.
However, we must take advantage of what we are given on this earth.
And so today . . .
Today I am thankful.”
Gillian beamed. First, her father smiled. His smile almost grew into a laugh, but her mother stopped it with a surreptitious jab to his side. Her mother was suppressing a cough, but she was still able to put on a smile when Gillian’s gaze shifted to her.
“That was wonderful, sweetie.”
With a small nod of humility, Gillian raised her fork, stabbed it into the meat, and began her meal.
“Mm — oh my god.” She slowly slid something solid out of her mouth, her face in a tight grimace.
“There's a bone in here. This is a bone, you literally gave me the worst piece. Ugh, this is GROSS!” As if on command, her eyes welled up with tears as she stared daggers at her mother and father. “Great, you managed to RUIN this meal like you RUIN EVERYTHING!”
Glasses wobbled and clinked together as she pushed her wooden chair behind her and stormed upstairs.
“Mom. Dad.” She was bouncing up and down in her chair.
Her smile faded slightly after a few seconds of waiting for attention. She reached under the table with her foot and tapped her parents’ toes, prodding them to look up. “Mom . . . Dad . . . ” They did. Gillian grinned.
“I think we should give thanks. I want to go first!” Her leg was shaking with excitement under the table.
Gillian’s mother put down her fork and smiled at Gillian, prompting her to start. First, Gillian took a few moments to calm herself. Then, she checked to see if her parents’ eyes were still on her. They were, so she began.
“Today, I am thankful.
I am thankful for this meal Mom cooked.
The stuffing, the cranberry sauce, and everything else.
Of course, it doesn’t have everything I wanted,
But this only teaches me to appreciate whatever I do get.
I am thankful for both my mom and my dad.
You may bicker and butt into my life a lot,
But deep, deep down I know you’re just trying to make things better for me
And you can’t blame someone who’s trying their best.
I am thankful for our house, rustic and homey.
It may contrast from the spacious houses of my friends,
But its crown moldings and marble countertops are warm and familiar to me
And its cozy cottage charm fits perfectly with the forest in our backyard
I am thankful for our horrible Wi-Fi
And the malfunctioning AC in my room
Because for a whole week, I was forced to get over myself, step outside,
And find entertainment in the real world
I am thankful that Dad didn’t let me buy an electric guitar because there wasn’t enough space for it in our music room.
From this experience, I learned to make do with what I have,
And appreciate the music that already exists in everyday life.
I’m thankful for the dog I had for two and a half weeks last summer for being really soft and cute.
But I am also thankful that Mom and Dad forced me to return it to the breeder.
I felt for the first time the pain of having something you love ripped away from you
And now I know that if I ever have to face grief or loss in the future, I will not have gone into it blind.
Life can be fleeting, unjust, and full of obstacles.
However, we must take advantage of what we are given on this earth.
And so today . . .
Today I am thankful.”
Gillian beamed. First, her father smiled. His smile almost grew into a laugh, but her mother stopped it with a surreptitious jab to his side. Her mother was suppressing a cough, but she was still able to put on a smile when Gillian’s gaze shifted to her.
“That was wonderful, sweetie.”
With a small nod of humility, Gillian raised her fork, stabbed it into the meat, and began her meal.
“Mm — oh my god.” She slowly slid something solid out of her mouth, her face in a tight grimace.
“There's a bone in here. This is a bone, you literally gave me the worst piece. Ugh, this is GROSS!” As if on command, her eyes welled up with tears as she stared daggers at her mother and father. “Great, you managed to RUIN this meal like you RUIN EVERYTHING!”
Glasses wobbled and clinked together as she pushed her wooden chair behind her and stormed upstairs.