Today I joined my son’s kindergarten class for their Thanksgiving feast. We arrived and were greeted by our children, dressed up as either pilgrims or Indians. My son was a pilgrim. And let me tell you, I was a happy pilgrim’s mother.
The hats were hilarious, made out of construction paper of course. My son’s hat frequently fell down over his eyes, blinding him and making him push it back up so that it then sat completely crooked on top of his head.
And the feast—chicken nuggets, mashed potatoes, and carrots…and egg rolls. I think the settlers would have been proud. My little pilgrim and his sister dived into their plates, carefully placed on top of placemats the kids had made. In the center of each laminated mat (thank you to his teacher for that—now I’ll always be able to remember this day) was his handprint, which had been cleverly crafted into a turkey. Children had written what they were thankful for on their mats. Some wrote their families. Some wrote that they were thankful for their food. My son wrote that he was thankful for Nick, his friend. Again, I was proud.
The feast was short, less than an hour long—because kindergartener’s attention spans quickly diminish when they are wearing costumes. It was a good day, and one I will remember always. Why? Because it was my son’s first school Thanksgiving party. Because I watched him sit quietly on the carpet while his teacher read two stories. Because I watched him look for me when he did something he was proud of. Because I was there. And I’m so glad I could be there.
Many kids didn’t have their parents there—they were working or couldn’t make it. I felt bad for those children…and their parents. I know it must have been difficult for them not to have been there. I took some pictures for another parent, and hope someone else thought to do the same thing for others.
Thanksgiving—a time to be thankful. I am thankful for so many things as a mom. I am thankful for my children’s smiles, their hugs, their beautiful and creative thinking minds, their souls, and their hearts.
Happy Thanksgiving to all the moms who were able to be there for their children’s feasts…and to all the mom’s who weren’t.