Happy Thanksgiving 2025
Thanksgiving is a gentle reminder to pause, share a meal, and let gratitude fill the table.
Thanksgiving is more than a feast. Yes, there’s plenty of food to enjoy! But at its heart, it’s a time to pause, reflect, and give thanks for life’s many blessings: our health, our families and friends, and the simple gift of being here together.
Sharing Sweetness With Pumpkin Pecan Pies
On Thanksgiving Eve, I baked eight miniature Pumpkin Pecan Pies, each one a small gesture of gratitude. They were hand-delivered to neighbors who had a difficult year —one recovering from brain surgery, another mourning the loss of a beloved brother-in-law to cancer. Pies also went to mom friends, with whom I’ve shared laughter (and lots of wine!) through the highs and lows of parenthood. I brought pies to my immediate neighbors and even Buddy’s retired dog groomer, as a way of saying thank you and wishing her joy in retirement. These small acts reminded me that gratitude is best expressed through kindness.
Thanksgiving Feast
This year, we chose a smaller family Thanksgiving dinner. A turkey crown took center stage, surrounded by traditional sides—mashed potatoes, stuffing, and brussels sprouts for a splash of color. It’s the one day I allow my family to indulge in nearly all-beige food! We paired the meal with a beautiful Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon from Othello Vineyard, and of course, finished with pumpkin pecan pie. We even managed to catch some of the Packers vs Lions football game on, whilst calling our families in California.
A Weekend of Gratitude
Kenz and I took Friday off to savor a long weekend. We enjoyed a lighter lunch at Wright’s Brother in Borough Market—seafood platters, fresh hake and halibut, paired with crisp white wine. It was a nice change on the palette from the traditional rich Thanksgiving food. London is looking gorgeous all decked out with Christmas decorations.
The weekend brought a moment of profound gratitude: hosting our neighbor, now cancer-free after nine months of grueling chemotherapy and radiation. His optimism carried him through long sessions at St Thomas’ Hospital, and celebrating his recovery felt like honoring the very essence of life. To mark the occasion, we opened a bottle of my favorite Pol Roger 2015 Blanc de Blanc, which Kenz gifts me a case each year for my birthday to share with loved ones. We toasted with smoked salmon and French cheeses, savoring not just the food, but the miracle of resilience and health.
The Meaning of Thanksgiving
For me, Thanksgiving is about gratitude in its purest form. Gratitude for health, for the strength to endure life’s challenges, for the joy of friendship, and for the love of family near and far. It is a reminder that life itself is the greatest gift, and that sharing it with others—through food, laughter, and compassion—is what gives it meaning.
This year, my heart is full. I am thankful beyond words.
