Thanksgiving is such a wonderful time to reflect on the people and things we have to be thankful for. But for me, Thanksgiving is about traditions and getting to do the things I witnessed my grandmother do for all those years.

I will never forget all the wonderful Thanksgiving meals my Nanny Miller prepared for our family. She planned for weeks getting her work list organized. She planned the menu and had all the steps to down to a “T”. She was amazing!!! The family would walk in the door and everything was ready to eat and she would greet each of us with a great big hug and a kiss. No one realized the amount of time she spent on a meal because she made it look effortless…

BUT…IT WAS NOT!!!

As I got older my Nanny began to teach me her recipes for turkey and dressing, pies, and other goodies. She taught me how to plan the meal, when to cook what, and most importantly the importance of keeping a good attitude no matter what.

Being her first grandchild and the oldest of four children Nanny encouraged me to take on our family gatherings. I was about 25 years old when Nanny sat me down and asked, “Lee, how would you feel about having Thanksgiving at your house this year?”. She then said the words that made me ok with taking on the family gatherings. She said, “I will help you”.  And, she did…She gave me suggestions and gentle guidance on how to’s. For a while she continued to cook and bring in her dishes. It was awesome when she arrived the entire family would squeal with pleasure…One would say, “Yeah Nanny’s here…I can’t wait for a piece of her pecan pie” while another would say “Yeah Nanny’s here…I can’t wait to eat one of her rolls.”. Everyone had a like but without a doubt everyone’s favorite was her cornbread dressing!!!

From that Thanksgiving on our home has become the place for our family to gather for food, fun, and laughter. It is a privilege and I am so thankful my family is willing to come here so the traditions passed on by our Nanny Miller can be carried on.

Today as I bake the cornbread and place the turkey in the brine, I can’t help but think of my Nanny Miller and how terribly I miss her. But, her legacy lives on and she is still helping me. The advice she gave me all those years ago are still put into practice today and the minute the first person walks through the door all the hard work is suddenly worth it!!!

I Thank God for My Nanny Miller and all the grandmothers out there like her who are willing to teach the future generations about traditions and the importance of people in those traditions.

While I miss her terribly….There is no doubt in my mind Nanny Miller’s cornbread dressing is being featured at the banquet table in Heaven!

Love Lee ♥