Thanksgiving

This year, as I have done many times before, I celebrated Thanksgiving with friends instead of family. The food was great, the company was wonderful, and the discussion was lively and fun. The people who did the most to make this meal happen are always the life of the party and have a special way of bringing folks together. I am thankful for having them in my life.

When I was a boy, it was our family's tradition for the women to prepare the feast and the men to go into the deer woods. Most years, the hunters came home empty-handed and we didn't really care that the venison was still in the woods because it's the opportunity to hunt that counts, not the kill. I was reminded of this today when I talked to my uncle on the telephone. Last summer, he had open heart surgery and is still recovering, but he was able to hunt in his favorite deer woods, in his favorite stand. He didn't bring home any venison, but he was thankful for the opportunity to hunt.

As a man, our Thanksgiving hunts with my son and nephews have given me a special appreciation for this family tradition. My son took his first deer on such a hunt and I have taken some too. I really felt it today as I thought back to those days. The camaraderie that hunters share cannot be replaced by any other event. Only hunters share the woods with their prey and with each other. Only hunters know the smells and sounds of the woods, and only hunters feel the cold air and feel the weight of steel in their hands. I am thankful to have had those opportunities to pass on my family's tradition and I hope to do it many more times in the future.

Today I feasted with friends, but it's not the same as hunting with family. I miss my family, but mostly, I am thankful to have them in my life.