Thanksgiving well wishes

Thanksgiving! A non-scientific, small-n survey of People I Talk To yields the conclusion that it’s pretty close to a consensus favorite holiday. The specific reasons for this likely vary from person to person, as “typical” Thanksgiving celebrations can range from the local and fairly simple to complex and far-flung affairs involving all kinds of extended family. At minimum, most folks can count on a gigantic meal with little of the guilt that normally comes with gluttony.

What I like most about Thanksgiving, though – and I suspect a version of this is true for many folks – is that it’s a time of year in which doing pretty much nothing is domestically and socially acceptable. There’s obviously a lot of cooking and cleanup to do, so I don’t mean literally nothing (yes, concerned readers, I try to be sure to assume an appropriate amount of both food prep and dishwashing responsibilities), but in comparison to a normal day in a normal work week, having a big meal as the main agenda item for a span of four or five days doesn’t seem too taxing. My own Thanksgiving falls somewhere in the middle of the above continuum: my wife and I head to northeast Georgia each year to visit her family, so there’s some travel involved, but it’s a very relaxing and low-key affair. With just four of us, we can generally move at our own pace, and no one ever feels the need to have much of a plan of action beyond getting food on the table on Thursday. There’s implicit permission to sleep late, spend much of the day lost in a book, and just generally laze about. The food itself doesn’t disappoint, either. Here’s a typical spread for us.

Is it too meta to say that I’m thankful for Thanksgiving? Late November is a busy time of year in admissions (I know, I know, I say that every time of year is busy in admissions, but it’s true!), and having the chance to spend a few days with family and just slow down for a bit is a real treat. Many of you are in the thick of gathering your application materials, and I’m likewise thankful to you for your interest in Fletcher, and for bearing with us during a brief office closure (on Thursday and Friday). We’ll be back next week, though, reading applications from those of you who submitted them for early notification, and looking forward to receiving more in advance of the January deadline. In the meantime, happy Thanksgiving!