Be thankful. Some argue that, in light of all that is happening in the world around us, it is hard to do. One might counter that, in light of all that is happening in the world around us, it is crucial to do. Events at home and globally serve to make us more intently aware of what we cherish. Whatever else unfolds, children will still dress as Pilgrims and Native Americans and sing of the first Thanksgiving, we still occasionally burn the turkey, get stuck in airports and miss those no longer with us. We persevere and give thanks.

A few Dispatch readers paused to share a Thanksgiving memory or thought. One of them even turned the tables and asked what my own would be. I knew right away.

In late November 1997, my younger sister and I sat in a Memphis hospital, longing for “an adult” to show up, a family adult — a mother, father, anyone older — who had always before stepped in to deal with life’s dreadful moments. Our widowed aunt was very ill, and doctors were looking to us for decisions. It was there that reality hit with force. We were the adults. We were finally “it.”

As Thanksgiving Day dawned, we knew there would be no usual, big family dinner, with my late mama’s gravy boat and candlesticks, and my brother carving the bird. We would spend it instead at the hospital, with strangers.

When night fell and our aunt was resting, my sister and I, along with her preteen daughter, slipped out to a nearby Shoney’s. I admit that, in a less enlightened time, I’d felt sorry for people who spent Thanksgiving or Christmas at such places, rather than surrounded by loved ones and laughter at home. Now I was one, and I wondered with concern about the circumstances of the other scattered diners.

In the hour that followed, something unexpected happened across the Formica tabletop and restaurant turkey. The cloak of anxiety of recent days lightened. We found something to smile about, then gently laugh about. The heavy load, we realized, was a shared one, and the bond was strong. Somehow that hour at a Memphis Shoney’s on a quiet Thanksgiving night proved intensely sweet. To this day, it stands out.

So, yes, be thankful — and be ready. Something fairly wondrous could happen when least predicted.

Monte Brasfield

One Thanksgiving memory stands out as the most special one ever. Years ago when my daughters were little, Thanksgiving was a rushed day packed with activities. But now that they are married, with families of their own, my wife, Suzanne, and I have to share the holiday with their in-laws.

About four years ago, we realized we would be by ourselves for the first time on Thanksgiving. We decided cooking a Thanksgiving dinner just for the two of us was just out of the question. We thought about going to a restaurant or eating with friends, but nothing stood out as something we really wanted to do.

A few days before Thanksgiving, we were watching the news and were intrigued by the Thanksgiving dinner that would be served by the Salvation Army. They were asking for volunteer help — so we volunteered. We left early, to help begin cooking. A truckload of turkeys had been cooked by local churches, but it was our job to help cook and serve the rest of the meal. So we, along with about 15 other volunteers, cooked gallons of peas, corn, mashed potatoes and green beans. We sliced pies and cranberry sauce, filled glasses and washed lots of pots and pans.

Once the huge crowd finally thinned, we sat down and ate the best Thanksgiving lunch ever on Styrofoam plates with plastic spoons, knives and forks. On our way home, we talked about our day and realized we had just spent one of the most enjoyable Thanksgivings ever with complete strangers, and we had had a wonderful time. That day still stands out as one of my most favorite Thanksgiving Days ever.

Monte Brasfield, West Point

English instructor, East Mississippi Community College

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Christy Cater

Thanksgiving is my very favorite holiday. Hands down. Many years ago I spent a year in Yuma, Arizona, as an AmeriCorps VISTA. I only made $800 a month, so a friend offered me a buddy pass so that I could fly home. Flying standby on the busiest travel holiday turned out to not be such a great idea.

While stuck in the second airport of the day, I met two others who had each made the same mistake. The three of us banded together and because they had never been to New Orleans, we decided to make it our midnight destination. After some middle-of-the-night sightseeing and beignets, we each took 6 a.m. flights to our respective destinations. I made it home, and my mom’s turkey and cornbread dressing were worth the 36-hour trek, the four airports and the exhausting night of playing tour guide. Laissez les bon temps rouler — and Happy Thanksgiving!

Christy Cater, Starkville

Outside Sales, Synergetics Inc.

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Xavier Fairley

Thanksgiving is one of the most enjoyable times of the year. The time when our family of four generations comes together to celebrate all we are thankful for. We enjoy delicious food and wonderful memories. I view Thanksgiving as a holiday of purity. No gifts are exchanged, only love and appreciation of family. It is also a time of reflection and gratitude. Most of all being thankful to God for what He has done in my family’s life and my life.

Thanksgiving should not be the only day to be thankful to God, and thankful for family and friends: We should take the time every day to be thankful.

Xavier Fairley, Columbus

Owner, F & F Carriage Services

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Deborah Johnson

I lived for almost 20 years in Rome, Italy. Thanksgiving is not a holiday there, but my Italian friends loved it! I’d fix these huge buffet dinners for 40 people — turkey, dressing, cranberry sauce, all the trimmings. I was younger then. If I hadn’t sent out invitations by Oct. 15, people started dropping hints.

Pretty much you could buy all the main ingredients you needed in the street markets — great winter vegetables, herbs, sweet potatoes and apples for pie, sometimes even a wan-looking pumpkin. Fresh turkeys too, and these were a treat.

My Thanksgivings in the U.S. had always consisted of your basic thawed-out Butterball. I couldn’t get cranberry sauce there (Ocean Spray) or stuffing mix (Pepperidge Farm), so I’d stock up on these when I came home to California. Cans and cans of Libby pumpkin, too. And these weren’t the only things I carted back, so as you may imagine, my bags weighed a ton. Italians are nice, though. People in Customs asked if they could come to Thanksgiving dinner, too!

Deborah Johnson, Columbus

Author

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Anika Perkins

The most memorable moments for me always include family, food — and the beach! That was the case two years ago in Gulfport. A couple of days before Thanksgiving, the food was prepared (mostly by my dad and mom), and I remember us carefully loading all of it (turkey, ham, cornbread dressing, giblet gravy, yams, greens, macaroni, cakes, pies and more) into both vehicles. We kept making jokes that if anyone dropped any food, the five-second rule would apply. Fortunately, there were no food mishaps.

Thanksgiving Day we had turkey and ham and sides for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It was one of the most relaxing holidays/vacations I can remember. No one was in a rush, and everyone moved at their own pace. The kids were able to play on the beach, and the adults took advantage of the water view and sunsets from our balcony. Of course, the women did not let the night end without catching a few deals at the local Walmart and Belk!

Anika Mitchell Perkins, Columbus

Associate Director of University Relations, Mississippi University for Women

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Drew Stark

Each holiday season, my family would coordinate elaborate meals, with each menu carefully crafted and planned down to the last detail. With many out-of-town family members visiting from all over the country, we would work together to create a truly magnificent meal, sharing tales of holidays past with each familiar recipe. Thanksgiving gave my family the opportunity to reflect on blessings throughout the past year and rejoice in spending time with each other.

Due to extended family schedules and work constraints in more recent years, many of those family gatherings have been replaced by groups of actors who I’m performing a show with. Often with performances on Thanksgiving prohibiting travel to be with our actual families, my friends and I devised a plan to commemorate them with a potluck dinner. The dinner was comprised of traditional family recipes that uniquely defined what the Thanksgiving meal was for them. Instead of feeling displaced without our families close by, we found new ways to connect with each other, with each dish evoking a memorable story of loved ones far away.

One of my most unique Thanksgiving meals was a breakfast of fresh-sliced turkey, crispy turkey bacon and waffles. After breakfast, we all gathered around the TV to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and enjoy the musical numbers from current Broadway shows. Although we weren’t together with our respective families, we shared in giving thanks for our innumerable blessings and sharing together our own special holiday favorites.

Drew Stark, Starkville

Actor; Tennessee Williams Tribute production committee

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Tre Womack

I remember we spend hours cooking, it seems like, and then take it all to my grandparents’ house where me and my mom, aunts and uncles, cousins, my brother from Chicago and his family all come together to eat and fellowship.

We’re a very musical family. We eat and sing. We’ll bust out into harmonizing on almost any occasion, including Thanksgiving. My granddad leads off; he’ll be the first one. Then one and then another and another joins in. It might be at the table, in the kitchen … at the most random moments and wherever we catch the spirit. It’s special. It’s family.

Tre Womack, Caledonia

Caledonia High School junior

Jan Swoope is the Lifestyles Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.