Page 7 - November 2020 Voices

A THANKSGIVING REBOOT

Tootie Smith, CC

Growing up on a generational farm in south Clackamas
County, our Thanksgivings were filled with food, family,
and football. My mother was a cook extraordinaire. Our
small flock of relatives traveled to our farmhouse not so

much for the delight of being with each other as it was for
my mother’s cooking. That was always the hook.
My mother spread the love with her cooking and service
to her extended family as each person would depart with

leftovers. Behavior was always important to our parents and
we kids were strictly forbidden from fighting or disagreeing
on discussion topics or become lazy when it came time to
wash the multiple sets of china and fancy silverware that

Mom insisted we use for these occasions.
One of my favorite stories about Thanksgiving came
from my father. He grew up on a turkey farm during the
depression where his family ate turkey all the time. He

hated turkey. My mother loved turkey and considered it a
treat. Each Thanksgiving, my father would dutifully eat his
turkey after he meticulously carved the perfectly prepared
bird. He did this because it gave my mother great joy. For

him it meant more to see my Mom happy than it did to
adhere to his own dislike of turkey. It wasn’t until I became
an adult, did I realize this. The lesson of love was not lost
on me as I marveled at how my Dad could stomach a food

he found distasteful.

VOICES! | NOVEMBER 2020 7