When I was a child, there was one thing about Thanksgiving I never understood -- cranberry sauce. No, seriously. What was that all about anyway?
I remember cranberry sauce often being around on Thanksgiving, but cannot remember ever trying it. I am sure I tried it once upon a time, but I cringed at the very thought of it. I really hated cranberry sauce. I remember it like many people do, an odd, jello-looking substance shaped like the bottom of a tin can. I never figured it out. Why would we eat it? I finally concluded it was there for looks, like parsley sprigs in restaurants.
As I grew older, I kept my anti-cranberry sauce attitude. I ate turkey and wondered why it was so dry (white meat is always dry, it seems). But I still liked it.
Then, late in life, I was served turkey with cranberry sauce. I mean that the server put the sauce on the turkey. I was appalled but, being raised to be polite, I had to try it. It was great. The cranberry sauce tartness worked great with the turkey flavor and got rid of the dryness. I was amazed. All those wasted Thanksgivings. :)
So, what is your cranberry sauce? You, undoubtedly, hear lots of suggestions from your preacher or your teacher or someone in authority. Some of these suggestions you know are foolish and not worth your time. Some of them you know are good and useful. But, what about the others? What about things you don't know?
I have, over the years, learned that there are lots of things like cranberry sauce in my world. There are writers I never thought I would like, but whom I end up really enjoying. There are movies and songs I don't think I will like, but I do like them. There are activities I am sure I will dislike, but end up enjoying.
Cranberry sauce looks kind of odd and I never really understood it before. My Thanksgivings are better now. You can be quite surprised by little things that add a lot to your life.
I remember cranberry sauce often being around on Thanksgiving, but cannot remember ever trying it. I am sure I tried it once upon a time, but I cringed at the very thought of it. I really hated cranberry sauce. I remember it like many people do, an odd, jello-looking substance shaped like the bottom of a tin can. I never figured it out. Why would we eat it? I finally concluded it was there for looks, like parsley sprigs in restaurants.
As I grew older, I kept my anti-cranberry sauce attitude. I ate turkey and wondered why it was so dry (white meat is always dry, it seems). But I still liked it.
Then, late in life, I was served turkey with cranberry sauce. I mean that the server put the sauce on the turkey. I was appalled but, being raised to be polite, I had to try it. It was great. The cranberry sauce tartness worked great with the turkey flavor and got rid of the dryness. I was amazed. All those wasted Thanksgivings. :)
So, what is your cranberry sauce? You, undoubtedly, hear lots of suggestions from your preacher or your teacher or someone in authority. Some of these suggestions you know are foolish and not worth your time. Some of them you know are good and useful. But, what about the others? What about things you don't know?
I have, over the years, learned that there are lots of things like cranberry sauce in my world. There are writers I never thought I would like, but whom I end up really enjoying. There are movies and songs I don't think I will like, but I do like them. There are activities I am sure I will dislike, but end up enjoying.
Cranberry sauce looks kind of odd and I never really understood it before. My Thanksgivings are better now. You can be quite surprised by little things that add a lot to your life.