Thanksgiving is, next to Halloween, my favorite holiday. It is so simple. It’s food. It’s love. It’s singing songs — at least in my family — old songs, like Gershwin’s The Man I love or A Foggy Day in Londontown.

And, there’s Tea for Two (by whomever), which the big boys in my family love, because it is so “Mad Men” (have you seen that TV show?) and not at all about the women they married, while the young men can’t even fathom what the heck is so funny about it. (Long sentence there. Oh well.)

It’s Thanksgiving.  Some people gather around for whatever big game is on TV. They might go to their own hometown football game in the morning, then go home for the food festivities.

In my family, we begin by  singing the silly song, “Thanksgiving Day is Coming, gobble, gobble, gobble, gobble, gobble”  (I don’t know the name of the song, but it ‘s utterly silly!).

Thanksgiving is wonderful for all its simple traditions, none of which is written in stone. We don’t have to do anything except serve turkey — and surely, if someone hated turkey, there would be forgiveness for even bypassing this tradition. Some people eat lasagna, salad, and peas.

It’s just about getting together and giving thanks…. for whatever … life, family, sun, rain, the great goddamn beauty of this world, if only we can manage not to destroy it.

And, chances are, as someone said to me , Mother Earth will take care of herself. She’ll get us in the end, if it comes to it and if we’re not careful. So, given all the beauty she has bestowed, thanks for her, too.

Thank you all, for being here, for caring, for sharing.  Happy Thanksgiving.