“Over the river and through the woods to Grandmother’s house we go…”
The seasonal song plays in my head as I look for Thanksgiving music to go with the moment almost at hand. Somehow, it isn’t quite right this year, and that’s ok. We will bend our lives to the times at hand, and in a pandemic that means being flexible with dates and dinners, and music fit for a Thanksgiving feast. To that end, I’m listening to Vince Guaraldi’s music, which is a whimsical, jazz-inflected entrance to the holiday season.
It’s not quite Christmas, but Guaraldi’s musical styling for the Charlie Brown Christmas Special is so indelible and tied to the holidays that this Thanksgiving music feels festive enough to see us into the season proper. A bit of morning fall sun is also a lovely entrance to the weekend.
Entering the season of gratitude and thankfulness, this is a good time to center ourselves, to remember what is really important, to return to a place of simplicity and grace. Every year I say I’m going to go back to basics and every year I fail – but there is something to be said for the trying, something earnest and genuine in the attempt, and maybe I’ve nudged myself a bit closer to the goal year by year. Perhaps this will be the one where it finally happens.
