欢迎您阅读并下载本文档，本文档来源于互联网，如有侵权请联系删除！我们将竭诚为您提供优质的文档！A true thanks-giving Thanksgiving day,we woke up at 6:00 am to finish cooking.I never thought we could pull it off,but somehow,we manage to prepare everything,clean our house,fit our card tables next to the dining room table in a one-bedroom apartment,polish the silverware,find matching plates and even create four miniature pumpkin centerpieces.We put out our casseroles and hot dishes on the buffet,checked the turkey,and just had time to change our clothes before the first guests arrived.Soon the house was overrun with family.No one asked about my boyfriend or if I had gotten any acting work lately.They all just oohed and ahhed over the table.They couldnt believe we did it all ourselves.Before we ate,we said grace and went around the table to say what we were thankful for.Ive always loved doing this each year but now,even though I was proud of helping my mom and glad to see everyone,I didnt really feel like contributing.Mothers turn came before mine.She said,I am thankful for my health,my family and my friends,I am especially thankful to my daughter Alyssa who taught me the meaning of gratitude on a thanksgiving 39 years ago.I looked up over my plate.What did she mean by that?She continued,Alyssas father Ed had just gotten out of the army.I was a new wife and mother of a one-year-old.We left Ft.Polk in 欢迎您阅读并下载本文档，本文档来源于互联网，如有侵权请联系删除！我们将竭诚为您提供优质的文档！Louisiana for Pittsburgh because thats where Ed found work.Well,the army lost all our furniture in the move and we had no money to buy more.We also couldnt afford to go home for thanksgiving.I went out and bought one baby food jar of strained turkey and one of strained carrots for Alyssa and two turkey sandwiches for us.We sat on the floor in our empty apartment and cried over our misfortune.Then we heard Alyssa laughing.My mother looked over at me with tears in her eyes.You were so happy.You were singing and having such a good time playing with your food in that cold empty apartment.I pray that you will always find happiness in every living moment,my darling daughter.I was stunned.I had asked myself how a woman of 65 who lived alone on a fixed income decided to become a hot blonde and make thanksgiving dinner for almost 30 people.Now I had my answer.She was just following the example I had set so long ago and had forgotten.When I returned to New York,I had a new sense of purpose and sensibility for life.I also went blond.