It’s funny how holidays sneak up on you. Can you believe it’s already Thanksgiving?
I learned a lot about different families’ traditions interviewing people for Wednesday’s story about Thanksgiving prayers. Unfortunately, not everyone I talked to made it into the story.
Here are four more people who shared with me how they celebrate Thanksgiving. I hope this will help get you into the holiday spirit.
Maria Gutierrez plans to celebrate today at her Arlington home with daughters Gloria, 19, and Mariana, 9, and son Miguel, 18.
They will go around the table and each say what they are thankful for. “It has to be something special,” Maria said.
Her eldest son, Luis, 22, couldn’t make it from South Dakota. Next year, though, everyone in the family plans to pitch in to buy Luis and his wife plane tickets.
Pam Lindahl, of Stanwood, is going to her daughter’s home for dinner. Sharing what each family member is thankful for is a Thanksgiving tradition for her, too.
This year, she likely will say how lucky her family is to be able to spend time together and to be healthy.
Lindahl is the president of the Stanwood Sons of Norway Lodge. She is half Swedish, half Norwegian.
Von Flake will probably say this prayer: “Lord, bless our food and help it to nourish our bodies so we can do thy will with that nourishment.”
I met Von last week when he was helping clean up after a community meal at First Congregational Church in north Everett. He said he is a recovering addict, and this short prayer quietly points out what’s important for him.
Mary Ellen Wood, director of the Interfaith Association of Northwest Washington and a practicing Baha’i, doesn’t have a special Thanksgiving prayer. She can tell you what Baha’i prayer not to say at Thanksgiving table, though: “O God, this is a broken-winged bird…”
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