Finding Thankfulness in the Impermanency of Life

And a Sweetly Spiced Pumpkin Bisque to be Grateful For

Photo by Hannah Busing on Unsplash

The Thanksgiving week is upon us, friends! And although I put an exclamation point at the end of that previous sentence, I don’t say that statement lightly because I know that announcement can bring up a wide assortment of emotions depending on the circumstances of your current life.

Growing up I believed that holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter looked the same for everyone. For our little family, it meant dusting off our Sunday best (complete with the toe-pinching Mary Janes that would leave my feet with blisters that lingered weeks after the big event), packing up the car with Saran-wrapped deviled egg platters, veggie trays, and 2-liters of Coca-Cola, driving to my grandma’s house or my aunt’s house or my cousin’s house, shyly giving and receiving hugs from relatives (most whom I hadn’t seen since the last holiday get-together), gathering in a warm kitchen whose countertops teamed with an assortment of casseroles, meats, breads, and pies from which we’d pile helpings onto Styrofoam plates that sagged under the weight of our appetites, and finding an open seat either at a dining room table or gathered around whatever sporting event was being televised at that moment to ravenously clean our laden plates.

Hence, the afternoon was spent in a continual loop of eating, talking, and watching. As the sun began to set, we’d gather our coats and accept the bulging Ziploc bags of leftovers that the host would press into our arms. Stuffed to our ear lobes, we’d toddle out to the car to sleep off our carb hangovers while my mom drove us home. I didn’t think about whether I liked our traditions or not; that was just what we did, and in my mind, that was what the rest of the world was doing as well. That was 30 years ago and my perspective has changed since then, and our traditions have changed as well.

A few weeks ago I met up with a friend who recently went through a divorce. As we talked about the coming weeks with its approaching holiday season, I noticed a somberness come over her. “I don’t know what this year will look like,” she said looking down at her hands. “I’m not sure where my kids will want to spend the holidays. And my brother and sister have their own plans.” She shrugged. “It’s just a hard time of year.” Watching the sad smile on her face made me hesitant to share my own plans with her when later she asked, “So what will you do for the holiday?”

I tried to make my answer brief because suddenly I felt self-conscious about the abundance awaiting us over the upcoming Thanksgiving week. It is the same abundance we have experienced for the past 24 years since Shawn and I got married. We will spend the days leading up to, during, and after Thanksgiving with my parents and my brothers and their families, sleeping on blow up mattresses on whatever empty section of floor we can find, eating copious amounts of food, watching too much football, playing overly competitive card games, reminiscing about the good ole’ days, and generally having a really lovely time. I now know this isn’t how everyone spends their holidays. And I also know that it is not how we will always spend ours. Because life happens. Seasons and circumstances in our lives change and what we once had may become something very different. Sometimes a good different. And sometimes a sad different.

Whatever this Thanksgiving may look like for you, my friend, may it be an occasion for you to remember that now is not always. Whether that thought brings you hope that better days are coming or sobers you to appreciate what you have now, in the end it can look like thankfulness for all of us, no matter what season or circumstance we are in.

Every year before my family commences our Thanksgiving feast, we gather in a large circle in my parents’ kitchen, hold hands, and take turns sharing something we are thankful for. Our answers can vary from “I’m thankful that PawPaw is cancer-free and here with us for another year” to “I’m thankful that Maile doesn’t eat meat so I can have her share of the turkey and ham.” Sometimes the responses make us laugh and sometimes they make us cry. Because that’s life, right? Laughter and tears. I hope, dear friend, this Thanksgiving season, you can find some sense of gratefulness in both the happy and the sad, the good and the hard.

But before I go, a gift!

I present to you this simple yet luxurious pumpkin bisque recipe that captures all the sweet and spiced flavors of the autumn season that can be enjoyed and savored whether you are hosting a crowd or celebrating alone. May it bring comfort of body and soul to you this Thanksgiving!

Giving Thanks Pumpkin Bisque

Ingredients:

1 c. onion, chopped

1 medium apple, chopped (The type doesn’t really matter. If you want a less sweet soup, I’d use a Granny Smith or similarly tart apple.)

4 c. vegetable broth, plus more for sautéing

1 c. raw cashews soaked for at least 2 hours (If you have a high-speed blender, there is no need to presoak.)

1 15oz. can pumpkin

1 ½ tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp. salt

Roasted pumpkin seeds for garnish (optional)

Instructions:

In a skillet over medium heat, sauté onions in a small amount of water or vegetable broth. After the onions have had a nice sizzle for about 3 or 4 minutes, add in the apples. Cook, stirring occasionally to keep the onions and apples from getting crispy, for another 5-7 minutes or till the onions start to take get a caramel color. Remove from stove and scrape all these goodies into your blender.

Now, add your broth, soaked cashews, canned pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, and salt to the blender. Turn it on and let it churn on its highest speed for a good two or three minutes. If you have a high-powered blender (or an overly ambitious one that doesn’t mind working hard for five or six minutes without burning out its motor) just let this baby roar till the mixture is blended and hot, usually about 6 minutes or so. If you have a regular blender that isn’t interested in breaking a sweat, no worries. Simply pour the blended mixture into a saucepan and heat it up from there. However, you get your soup warm doesn’t really matter.

Once it’s reached that just-right, tummy-soothing temperature, pour it into bowls, top with a few roasted pumpkin seeds if you have them, and serve.

Serves 6.