Clay in the Hands

Here we are the day before Thanksgiving.  Many of us are planning time with family and that time will most likely include plenty of food, a lot of fellowship and quite possibly some football.

I remember Thanksgivings as a kid.  I grew up learning to value family and time together.  I had over 20 first cousins on one side of the family and it was never dull when we all got together.  The plan was the same each year.  Everyone would converge on my grandparents home – a little farm house on the edge of town.  It had been added on to in order to have a second bathroom and another place to sleep.  It’s normal occupants didn’t need much space, but at holiday time, it became a bit cramped.

At meal time, the kids were typically allowed to fix our plates first and then head off into another room to eat on “TV trays.”  We ate and joked and had a great time together.  But it was all just precursory to what would come next.

It became a tradition by the time I was 13 or so, that we would all load up in as few cars as possible and head over to the elementary school.  The school had a covered, outdoor basketball court.  It would begin with simple games of “PIG” or “HORSE.”  But what we were really hoping for was some unsuspecting locals who might wander up and be pulled into a friendly game.

It happened just about every year that enough would show up and we could have an actual game.  These locals had no idea what to expect from Team Hill.

We really didn’t call ourselves that, but it was no question that it was our family against whoever else showed up.  To be honest, I don’t ever remember losing.

As I think back to those days, I am reminded that no matter how far apart family members may be physically, there is a bond that cannot be broken.  It is at times like holidays that we should think about family.  If you can’t be with your family this holiday, give thanks for them and then let them know you are thinking about them.

Have a blessed Thanksgiving.