Thanksgiving 2022
By Andrea Tadpole-Broussard
Thanksgiving is a time of being grateful and spending time with family. It is also a time of continuing traditions passed down from one generation to the next. One such tradition in our family was making pies. My grandmother Mary, my mom's mom, was an excellent cook and baker so naturally she was responsible for Thanksgiving dinner every year. She made the best pies around, especially chocolate meringue. My Dad loved chocolate pies and looked forward to hers.
My grandmother died a long time ago and with her our Thanksgiving dinners. After that, somewhere along the way, I am not exactly sure when, I was dubbed the pie maker of my little family. I promise you, my abilities in the kitchen are not that great. I have managed to master making two kinds of pies though, cherry cheese and chocolate. Honestly, it is not that hard to do. I buy premade graham cracker pie shells. I follow the recipe on one of pie crust labels for the cherry cheese and use instant pudding for the chocolate.
Since being passed the pie making torch in my family, I have always made my Dad two chocolate pies for Thanksgiving and Christmas. In fact, he would remind me a couple of weeks in advance about "his pies" every year without fail. I always made sure he had them. There were times I was worn out from work and would grumble to myself about having to make them but I would do it regardless. After he was diagnosed with diabetes I started secretly using sugar free pudding mix. He never knew the difference.
I have been working alot and trying to focus on other things to keep my mind busy so I do not sink into the doldrums over the holidays this year. It is my first year without my Dad and it is hard. My heart aches for him all the time. I thought I was doing pretty good at focusing on the positive until this morning.
I was making pies for Thanksgiving dinner. I got the two cherry cheese pies done and got the sugar free chocolate pudding ready. When I went to fill the pie shells with chocolate pudding the tears started and grabbed me by my throat out of nowhere it seemed. I stopped what I was doing and sobbed.
I cried for all the Thanksgiving dinners I did not do with my Dad when I was young and stupid. I always figured there was next year and next year never came. It took me till I was in my forties to understand how important my parents were and to spend time with them. You never know when their time will be up.
I also cried for the year I have been through. This time last year I never would have thought my Dad would be gone this year. I cried because I cannot remember last Thanksgiving. Everything blurred out on me when my Dad lost his battle and died this past February. I honestly do not remember whether I made him chocolate pie last year or not. I know it is not that big of a deal now, but grief makes my mind grab on the the craziest things sometimes.
Memories of past family dinners also flooded my mind. Pictures of people who have passed on flashed by like a slide projector, one after another. I realized that despite the fact that my parents and grandparents were not perfect, they did the best they could with what they had, just like I do with my kids and grandkids. I come from strong, determined and hardworking people. I know they loved me and those who are not here still do because love never dies. I wiped my tears and finished making my pies.
I allowed myself a treat tonight. I ate some chocolate pie. As I finished my last bite, the thought crossed my mind that I would make my Dad a thousand chocolate pies every day for the rest of my life if I could have him back.
Tonight I am grateful for my little family. We are not perfect but we love eachother. In the end all that is left is love. It is the only thing we can take with us to other side. Love never dies.
I hope you enjoyed the best chocolate pie in Heaven today Daddy....I love you!! ❤️
