Jonna Carter: Traditions in Flux

Thanksgiving seems a time of shifting and redefinition — of loyalties, direction and where best to focus our energies. Another Thanksgiving has come and gone, and as always it has been cause for reflection. I never know what Thanksgiving will bring, as it mirrors the ebb and flow of seasons and of life. Thanksgiving for me has been a parade of traditions, all memorable, that last for a few years before transitioning as necessity dictates. The one constant has been that this is a time when kindness surfaces.

Growing up I never particularly cared about the holiday, though it was my mother’s favorite. There didn’t seem to be much of a point. I mean, it was just food. At my elementary school, however, there was much talk of Pilgrims, and that was of great interest.