memories and moments First Thanksgiving holiday without Grandpa BY ROSE PADDICK I was so concerned our first-holiday dinner without their grandfather would be hard on my grandchildren that I considered canceling the whole thing or going to a restaurant. But after careful consideration I realized his passing was a fact of life that couldn't be changed and ignoring or hiding it would probably be worse for them than facing the hurt head-on, especially while surrounded by cousins, aunts, uncles, and favorite foods. I hit the grocery store and washed the special tablecloth. It was cathartic for me to spend happy hours in the kitchen sharing space and recipes with my children and grandchildren in the days leading up to our Thanksmas (a compilation of Thanksgiving and Christmas) just as we did in years past. There were tears and memories, hugs and laughs inspiring me to invent a new tradition. When the big day came and we were all seated at the table we said a special gratitude prayer before beginning our meal as always, then stepping out of tradition I asked each child if they had a favorite memory of their grandfather they would like to share. The only stipulation was it had to be happy or funny and we could continue to eat while we shared - which brightened the faces of the young ones considerably - I remember how hard it is to have to wait before digging into all that beautiful food right there in front of you. 13 GRAND Nov-Dec 2019 Continued on next pagehttps://www.facebook.com/GRANDmagazine/ https://www.twitter.com/grandMmagazine