The leaves have turned red and gold, and there’s a freshness to the air. We’re in the midst of Fall and Thanksgiving is here!

Unlike the first Thanksgiving in 1621, which was a 3-day festival to celebrate the harvest, most Americans nowadays keep the festivities to one day — the last Thursday in November, when friends and family gather to feast, reminisce, and enjoy Thanksgiving Day parades and football.

As I prepare for the big day tomorrow, I find myself thinking about past Thanksgivings when our family traveled to my grandparents’ farm where aunts, uncles, cousins and friends all gathered to spend the holiday together. Looking back, there were 12 aunts and uncles, and 15 grandkids all packed into Mama and Papa’s small 3-bedroom, 1-bath house, and it was wonderful! People everywhere, lots of hugs and laughter, all enveloped in love. And when Thanksgiving dinner finally came, what I remember most is everyone encircling the table, hand in hand, heads bowed, and my grandmother giving thanks for the food we were about to enjoy and the wonderful family that she had been blessed with. It was a moment of quiet peace that I can still feel deep in my heart today. For me, that memory is what Thanksgiving is all about.

From our family at Silver Ridge Ranch to yours, may you have a wonderful Thanksgiving full of togetherness, love and memories.