i'll just come right out and say it. i love you, thanksgiving!

thanksgiving is an especially meaningful holiday for me. it marks the last time my grandfather came home from the hospital after moving to philadelphia for treatment of a brain tumor. it was seventeen years ago, but the memory of that day and elation i felt upon hearing that he could come home - even if only for a day - remains vividly impressed in my mind. he ended up passing away a month and a half later and it just strikes me as interesting that an experienced of such extreme sadness, of knowing it's the beginning of the end, could make me cherish and enjoy this holiday more than any other. but it did.

so, in preparation for my favorite holiday tomorrow and the hubbub leading up to it (possibly my most favorite part), i'd like to breakdown exactly what is that i love about thanksgiving so much:

i love having a dedicated day to articulate good fortune and gratitude. i love that thanksgiving means the holidays are just amping up. there's such an excitement of anticipation it just feels so energizing and invigorating. i love that it means people everywhere go home specifically to be with their families and i especially love that it means my very favorite baby brother comes home and makes my family whole again.

i love that the purpose of the holiday is being with and enjoying good friends and family, not exchanging gifts. i love the food we eat on thanksgiving. i mean seriously, you can't get much better than carved turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and pie - all in one night! i love that thanksgiving doesn't have a religious affiliation. it is a holiday for all americans and i love how democratizing that is. i love that i associate this holiday with my grandfather and the joy of him coming home for the night and i love how that reminds me of what is most important at the end of the day.

this year in particular, i love that i was able to avoid what seemed like an unavoidable, impending hospital stay and that i can celebrate thanksgiving at home, where i should be, this year.

most of all, i love that thanksgiving means i get to spend a night laughing, preparing a feast and eating yummy food with my family, my favorite people in the world, and i love that there's absolutely nothing in the entire universe that i love more than that. so, for that and for so much more, i give thanks this year.

wishing all of you a happy and healthy thanksgiving filled with love, laughter and killer cranberry sauce (or stuffing or apple pie or casserole, if that's the way you roll).