Real Simple

As we rapidly careen towards the 2022 holiday season, (“you must be kidding, Thanksgiving’s next week?”), I always think of the first year we celebrated Thanksgiving with my grandfather in the Adult Living Facility where he resided. I didn’t really know what to expect since it was also my first year back in Miami. Would it be a sad affair, since I had lost my dad only a few years earlier? Would Thanksgiving, be the same, celebrated in such a setting? The answer to both questions – Yes and No.

We arrived around four that afternoon to a festively appointed dining room, paper table clothes depicting the first Thanksgiving, Papier-mâché turkeys strung to light fixtures and a one man band setting up in the corner. We and the other arriving families immediately pitched in to help feed our own loved ones as well as the residents who were celebrating without family members. I was a long lost son to one resident and an out of town grandson to another. That evening, I witnessed a Thanksgiving that embodied the true meaning of the event.

No matter how you plan to celebrate Thanksgiving this year, Happy Thanksgiving to you and all of your loved ones.

Share your Caregiver Thanksgiving with us.