Teilo licked his lips. He could almost taste it. Thin slices of turkey plopped down on the plate just inches from his nose, taunting him. That nose inched just a little closer. Plop! A little closer. Plop! Just a little…Whack! Teilo jerked back, eyes shutting instinctively as something smacked his nose, the noise unpleasant to his sensitive ears. As he scampered back from the rolled paper weapon, he heard Dainei’s voice scolding.
Sulking, he tucked his tail between his legs and retreated to a safe distance. I didn’t mean to be a bad boy. It just looked so yummy.
After a moment, he licked his lips, anticipation winning over shame. I wonder how much they will have left of that big bird for me to eat. His tongue slurped back and forth greedily.
Cauffield shifted, fists tucked into his pockets as his feet scraped forward against the packed dirt. A scuffle ahead signaled the march to continue. Pulled forward in line, Cauffield eventually found himself standing before an elderly woman with a thin smile plastered across her face.
“Here you go, dear. Don’t eat it all at once.” She cackled as she handed him a frozen turkey. His eyes did not lift again as he shuffled off with his reward.
“Tom, get the knife while you’re in there. It’s in the second drawer left of the fridge!”
“Watch it!” Gavin yelled as Tom ran past, the electric knife nearly jabbing into his stomach. Ducking his head, Tom dodged more slowly through the doorway before running again down the wide hallway.
Renney took the knife and plugged it in, carefully cutting into the moist bird. Their cook, Alice, had the afternoon off for Thanksgiving, so Renney had had to take the turkey out of the oven himself. It looked cooked enough, and the thermometer said it was at “chicken” temperature.
Plates passed up as Renney carefully filled each one. He was already fantasizing about turkey sandwiches for tomorrow.
It is almost Thanksgiving in the United States of America! Today we give thanks for many things, chief among them the food that we eat. While most of us are able to get by day-to-day with enough food, Thanksgiving is a day we not only give thanks for what we have, but strive to give just a bit more to our families.
While many of us can reasonably afford a holiday dinner, and some of us have no trouble at all scrounging for the needed cash, there are thousands of people struggling to put a nice meal on the table this time of year.
Here in Southeastern Wyoming, we benefit from the Food Bank of the Rockies, which brings food to isolated areas and gives it out to the people there. When I first went to meet this food truck, I was shocked by the quantities of food they gave. More importantly, nobody made anyone feel ashamed of getting this food for free.
Day of Thanks and Giving
During this time, it is important to not only give thanks but give others reasons to be thankful. Let’s celebrate by giving to charities, buying an extra turkey or box of stuffing at our local grocery store, or dropping groceries by a local food pantry. If you are in need, help pass on the kindness you receive through your actions. Even if you are not giving money or material goods, showing that you care about and appreciate others sometimes makes a greater difference than you know.
Below are some good articles and resources for limiting your own spending, or for giving back to others if you have the spare change or time. Let’s make the holidays a time when everybody gets help and nobody is made to feel ashamed of it!
- https://www.creditcards.com/credit-card-news/holiday-assistance-donation-guide.php – learn about ways to give and get help
- https://www.foodpantries.org/ – find food pantries near you
- https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/86965/12-ways-you-can-help-your-local-food-bank – Some ways to help that you might not have thought of
If you benefited from reading this article, or think others would like to read it, please give us a like and share to spread the word. Don’t hesitate to leave a comment telling us your story, or letting us know about charities and other things in your area that can help us make the holidays great for everyone!
Standish Writes 