Rolland E. Kidder

 

                                                  The Post-Journal

 

   On Being A Lucky Man

                                                                                    Dec 14, 2024

Rolland Kidder

 

I have always thought that one of the great moments in the history of sports was that day in 1939 in Yankee Stadium when Lou Gehrig addressed a crowd who knew that he was retiring because of a fatal disease. He said to them: “I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth.”

It is hard not to feel that way on Thanksgiving.

I remember how tough it was on all of us during COVID time when we couldn’t get together. We were back to full-normal this year with 22 gathered for the big day. I have been married into this family now for over 50 years and every Thanksgiving, and every year on this day, I remember those words of Gehrig.

Thanksgiving is a national holiday and for good reason. But, for me it has always been the biggest family day of the year. It is bigger than birthdays, anniversaries or virtually anything else.

I savor it, relish it, can’t wait for it to arrive and am sad when it is over. No gift giving, no great expectations, just enjoying and observing the family and finding out what everyone is doing.

We were at our son’s home in Skaneateles, New York this year–and the town always has a Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving. You can jog or just walk. This year it was snowing…a wet, slushy, yucky kind of snow. But, that didn’t matter. The townspeople gathered as usual along with out-of-towners like us. Somebody passed the hat for the food bank in town, there were drinks and coffee, nobody was in a sour mood. Good feelings all around. Thanksgiving.

Back at home, before we left, there had been wonderful gestures leading up to the big day. The newspaper had reported on some churches and others having organized an effort to provide Thanksgiving dinners to those less fortunate. It is heartening to see all of this happening each year.

At our Thanksgivings, the family sort of has a nonstop spontaneous discussion going on of what the past year has produced…the good and the bad, but mostly about the good. This year, the biggest news was that our oldest granddaughter is pregnant, and people were speculating about how this new addition would be the center of attention next year.

Writers can sometimes be redundant, but when it comes to Thanksgiving–I don’t care. Every year I get carried away and write about it. But, it is worth the write.

Thanksgiving always brings me back to what Lou Gehrig said. He is not alone. I consider myself to be the luckiest man on the face of the earth, and that is the truth.