I’ve always enjoyed Thanksgiving, but its purpose for me was twofold:

— Eat until it hurts

— Eat more

We decided to invite all the singles over for the big meal. I got to come to Africa with my bride and my kids, so if I never made a friend, I would always have a good time. But I find myself marveling at people who would come all the way to Africa without any family, and have no one to come home to. They work so hard, and they give and give and give. So we didn’t want any to be forgotten on this special day. And we expected a few to show up. But sometimes things take on a life of their own, and by the time it was all over, we had 27 guests. Nan made a turkey, and everyone brought something.

We had Africans, Americans, Canadians, and English folks. I tried out my newly acquired multi-cultural skills when Fred asked me what Americans were most thankful for. I told him that we were most grateful for two things:

1. We were thankful to not be in England anymore.
2. We were thankful that we didn’t end up in Canada.

Nan and I have had a tradition since we were married of going around the table and telling folks why we were thankful for them. It was a wonderful time, and we are glad that this tradition transferred easily to Africa. At the end of the feast, Fred remarked that he felt like he had been to America for the first time. `Not yet’ I responded. This was the first Thanksgiving I’ve been away from America, and for the first time since I’ve been away, I found myself missing things. I’ve always missed family and friends and church, but Thanksgiving evoked things that surprised me; being able to just call people on the phone, the luxury of friends and family close by, newspaper ads of cool toys that I wanted for me but could give to the kids, and football. `You need to watch a football game to truly experience an American Thanksgiving’ I told Fred.

I really really really wanted to watch a football game on Thanksgiving. And a dear friend offered his tapes of the Buffalo Bills to watch. But as a true Cowboys fans, the idea of watching the Bills on Thanksgiving was as enticing as kissing my sister, will all due respect to my lovely sisters. A Cowboys fan watching the Bills on Thanksgiving would feel like a commie. And then an even dearer friend pulled out a Dallas Cowboy tape that her even dearer brother in law had sent her. And so, dreams do come true; we watched a Cowboys game during Thanksgiving. And I was amazed how much I got into the game, knowing the outcome from the beginning; I yelled with a ferocity that alarmed Grace, amused Fred, and had all the Canadians and English folks grateful that my people had made their way to America.

I have never been a particularly grateful man, but Africa has made me realize, in a new way, how much I have been given and how much I have taken for granted. I waited for 20 minutes the last time I tried to get a dial tone here; next Thanksgiving I will burn up the phone lines calling my family and friends, thanking them and apologizing for how I’ve taken them for granted.

Africa has helped me become grateful.

YOP

S