Thanksgiving Reflections: Same Tea, Different Steeps
This excerpt comes from my blog/newsletter titled The Steeping Chronicles. It contains a SWEET side and a REAL side of every edition. This entry is from the REAL side.
Thanksgiving is here, and while I’d love to enthusiastically shout, “Yay! Thanksgiving is here!” it usually comes out more like, “Great, Thanksgiving is here,” accompanied by an eye roll. Despite being a fully grown adult with five children, I somehow still find myself in the same yearly debate with my mom about why I don’t want to travel “back home” for Thanksgiving.
Sure, I love seeing my extended family, but what do I dread? The logistics. Navigating when to hit the road to avoid turning a 10-hour drive into an even longer ordeal during peak travel chaos. Giving up the rare chance to simply sit still and recharge from my already busy life. Budgeting an extra $1,000 (or more!) for transportation costs because I have a big family. And, of course, those awkward moments of standing in a room with people I’ve never met, only to hear someone insist they’re “family.” After everything my children and I have endured, staying home sounds like the better option.
But mom is mom. Even though she used to say the Thanksgiving debate would end after Grandmom passed because “you never know when it will be her last,” here we are, having the same conversation yet again.
Despite my personal feelings about Thanksgiving travel, I am choosing to reflect with gratitude this year. I am thankful to be in a much better mental space than I was during previous holidays. I remember Thanksgivings when life felt unbearable, when complications from divorce, financial struggles, and battles with the legal system left me dreading questions like, “So, what are you up to these days, Erica?”
One year, that simple question broke me. I cried my way through the entire season. But family, in their own unique way, can help us heal, and mine has. This year, I am grateful for how far I’ve come. The weight of life is no longer crushing me. Instead, I feel lighter, stronger, and filled with dreams and triumphs to share.
This will also be my first year traveling with my tea blends. My prepackaged loose-leaf teas are my saving grace, no mess, no fuss, just a warm cup of comfort wherever I go. So, when I sit with Aunt Pat this year, reflecting on life’s journey, we’ll sip tea together. Each sip will remind me of my own message: however this brew comes out, bitter, sweet, bold, or weak, it’s up to me. The same tea can create different experiences, depending on the steep.
This Thanksgiving, I’m choosing gratitude and reflection, letting life steep into something warm and comforting.
If you are quietly dreading Thanksgiving this year, pack one small thing that is yours. I travel with my own blends, and Apple Pie black tea is the one I reach for in November. Who will you invite to your table?
Questions People Ask About Dreading Thanksgiving
Why do I dread Thanksgiving with my family?
Usually it is the logistics and the dynamics, not the holiday itself. The driving, the cost, the time off, and the same conversations with the same relatives wear on you long before the turkey comes out. Counselors who work with family conflict describe this dread as a response to real patterns rather than an overreaction. Naming what you dread makes it smaller.
How do you practice gratitude when the holiday is hard?
Start small and let it be honest. I write down what is different this year instead of what is missing. UCLA Health reports that about 15 minutes a day, five days a week, for at least six weeks can improve mental wellness. AARP collects simple table traditions if you want one for the meal itself.
Is it okay to skip traveling home for Thanksgiving?
Yes. Staying home is a choice, not a failure of family loyalty. I have the same debate with my mom most years, and I have learned that resting instead of driving ten hours is sometimes the kinder option for everyone in the car. Decide early, say it warmly, and offer a phone call. Guideposts has gentle ways to ease the stress around that conversation.
What tea should I serve at Thanksgiving?
Serve something warm and dessert-like that works after a heavy meal. Apple Pie black tea is my November choice, cinnamon and apple, no pie tin required. If you want more than one flavor on the table, the full range of blends lives in the tea shop. Pour it once the plates are cleared and watch how much longer people stay seated.
How do I travel with loose leaf tea?
Prepackaged sachets are the easiest way. They fit in a purse or a carry-on, they do not spill in the car, and all you need at the other end is hot water. A Mini Tea Party In A Box holds four loose leaf sachets with a mini teacup and saucer, so one person has everything for a quiet cup away from home.
What can I do instead of a big Thanksgiving gathering?
Make a smaller table on purpose. A pot of tea with two or three people you actually want to talk to still counts as a holiday. Calm has ideas for a lower pressure day. If you want company without the drive, our monthly virtual tea party puts everyone on screen brewing the same cup.
How do I answer nosy questions at the holiday table?
Decide your one sentence before you arrive, then repeat it. Mine used to be the hardest part of the whole season, so I stopped improvising. Give a short honest answer, ask them something about themselves, and let the subject move. Holding a warm cup helps more than you would think. You are allowed to leave the room.