Thanksgiving on the Beach
The pilgrims celebrated the very first Thanksgiving shortly after arriving on the East Coast. Hundreds of years later, my family would celebrate the same tradition at the other end of the country — on the Pacific coast.
With our nearest relatives states away, my family would often celebrate Thanksgiving on our own. One year, my mom decided to add a twist to this classic holiday. She put the turkey in the oven in the middle of the night, and in the morning we packed up the meal and headed to the beach!
While families around the country gathered around tables with snow outside, we heated our feast on the camping stove. We spent the day playing beach soccer, frisbee and making sandcastles. What started as a way to make the holiday a little more of a fun adventure soon became our very own family tradition.
My dad died on November 11th, 1999. After the funeral, friends and extended family headed back to their homes for Thanksgiving. And like every year before, my mother, siblings and I headed to the beach.
In the midst of sorrow, our family traditions bind us together. For us that year, Thanksgiving on the beach provided some much needed comfort and a reminder of our happy times together.
This Thanksgiving, the StoryWorth team is sharing some of our favorite holiday memories. The story above was written by Krista Baum, one of StoryWorth’s two cofounders.
Feel free to respond with your own Thanksgiving story!
