Thanksgiving Traditions

When my dad was growing up, his father had an apartment in New York City on Central Park West overlooking the park. Every year on Thanksgiving, my dad would watch the parade go by from his dad's living room, warm and toasty in his pajamas. It remains one of his favorite childhood memories.

Over the years, this cherished childhood memory has evolved into the same routine that played out every year when I was growing up.

Scene: The night before Thanksgiving, 1986-2003 (ish)

Dad: What if we got up early and went to the parade?

Daughter 1, suspiciously: How early, exactly?

Dad: Oh, around 5 am or so. It's gonna be cold!

Daughter 2: How cold, exactly?

Dad: Oh, real cold! We'll get some cocoa though, don't you worry. And the crowds will keep us warm.

Daughter 3: Crowds?

Dad: Of tourists, of course! Come on, it'll be great!

Daughters, in unison: Oh, just sounds terrific. Maybe next year.

Now, before you go feeling too bad for my dad and his joy-killing daughters, here's what the scene has evolved into now that we're older:

Dad: What if we got up early and went to the parade this year? You guys always say no.Poor me.

Daughter 1: Let's do it this year!

Daughter 2: We're totally game.

Dad: .........Really? You know, it's going to be pretty cold out there.

Daughter 3: Not too bad. Come on, we'll get you some cocoa.

Dad: Those crowds are going to be rough though.

Daughter 2: That's part of the charm. The magic of Thanksgiving, if you will.

Dad: And it's going to be so early. Just so early. What if we just watched on TV in the comfort of our pajamas?

And then we eat some pie.

Then last night, I was speaking with my mom on the phone when she informed me that, for the first time ever, my dad didn't want to do the parade this year.

Instead, he wants to go to the Rockaways and volunteer.

Sandy may feel far away, but there's still so much to be done. People just minutes from the suburb I grew up in are living in shelters, with their homes reduced to rubble. Queens and Long Island residents still don't have heat, or lights, or hot water. It's sobering, to say the least.

So this may not be the year that we make it in for the parade, but that's okay by me. Instead I'm going to spend Thanksgiving with my family (whose safety after this storm is what I'm most thankful for this year) giving back just a little to people who weren't as lucky as we were.