I remember the days gone by.
These days were full of homemade aromas
Stuffing and pies...pecans and turkey
Great Aunts and Grandmothers preparing our feasts
Grandfathers and Uncles strategizing over football games.
I trace these moments in my mind, certain that I will never forget.
We played with cousins in anticipation
We nibbled on morsels of love flavored with pumpkin and drowned in gravy
We squeezed into houses not big enough for 4, but overflowing with 25.
We were warmed by the fuel of love and cooled
off with the sashes of windows being thrown open.
We were cozy and content, not needing anything more
We made pilgrimages to and fro
Traveling in the blue minivan
We watched parades and played Bingo.
We clipped coupons and played crokinol's
All the while thinking that life would always remain the same.
Tables would be full of these familiar faces,
Recipes would be duplicated,
Lives would remain untouched.
Years passed and the configurations of the tables changed.
Seats dwindled, laughter faded, lights dimmed.
We all remember, and yet somehow we forget.
Familiar faces fade away, and new faces take their place.
Laughter quietly roars from the mouths of new babes
Old hearts are re-inspired by these new joys
I sit around a modern table making newfangled memories
Serenely savoring the sweetness of love that I experienced so long ago.
My people are with me.
I can feel it on this day.
A day of celebration, a day of Thanksgiving.
I remember these days gone by...
~Sarah Dickey