A Different Kind of Thanksgiving

For as long as I can remember, Thanksgiving has been about gathering—family, friends, food, and gratitude. It’s the season where we pause to notice the blessings we might otherwise overlook, and I’ve tried to carry that practice

into my everyday life.

Three years ago, on November 27th, my mom passed away. Thanksgiving was one of her favorite holidays. She loved creating her recipes, filling the house with the smell of cornbread dressing and banana pudding, and watching her family laugh around the table. You could see the joy in her smile as she looked around the room, soaking it all in.

Since then, we’ve kept the tradition alive, but it hasn’t felt the same. We still cook her dishes, we still laugh, but there’s an emptiness that lingers beneath it all. This year, I’m choosing something different. My sister, her wife, and I are heading to a casino. It may not be the traditional Thanksgiving table, but it feels like a way to honor her too—she loved the thrill of slots and blackjack.

And with Thanksgiving this year falling on the day we lost her, it feels right to step into something new. Gratitude isn’t about doing things the way we always have—it’s about finding ways to carry love forward. This year, mine looks like blinking lights and sounds of the slot machines, laughter in the air, and remembering my mom in a place she enjoyed. If you’re navigating a holiday that feels different this year, I hope you give yourself permission to honor it in your own way. Traditions can change, and love can be celebrated anywhere, whether it is at a table with your loved ones, travelling to a special place, or even at a casino.