By Maura Sheedy – 12th Grade, Oakland Catholic High School

I’ve always liked Thanksgiving.  It’s the prelude to the Christmas season an emblem of fall.  It’s fun to share a good meal with even better people as well.  Unlike most families, my family rarely does the same thing each Thanksgiving, but that does not make the holiday any less exciting.

One of my most memorable Thanksgivings was when I was 8 years old.  We went to have dinner with my dad’s side of the family in Altoona.  Before we even ate, the day was already a recipe for disaster (haha).  My aunt put a pan of stuffing into the oven in a flammable plastic dish that began to burn when she put it in. The plastic dripped on to the turkey, ruining part of it, and we came incredibly close to having to call the fire department. In the meantime, my cousins and I were running around playing like wild turkeys. I ended up tripping and getting a huge brush burn on one whole side of my face. The scar was so bad that when we took a christmas card picture a few weeks later, they would not let my face entirely face the camera in order to hide it. Like most holidays, the chaos eventually became something we laugh about.

Another year, maybe 5 years ago, my family spent the day with my mom’s side of the family. We had a lovely afternoon turkey dinner, but were looking for something to do as the day dragged on. We all decided to go bowling. My cousin, who recently got his license, drove us five younger ones there and back. On the way home, we bought ice cream, blasted music, and sped through my grandma’s small town. It was a such a fun time and one of my most fond memories with my cousins.

This year, who knows what will happen?! Thanksgiving will be at my house during the day, which should be interesting since my mom will be head chef and her go-to meal is thai takeout. Later, we’ll be stopping by another’s aunt’s house to continue the celebration. I am excited because I’m sure it will be a memorable day!

 Maura Sheedy is a senior at Oakland Catholic High School who lives in Thornburg.  She previously has been a part of Young Writers Institute.  She considers random things she has seen on the Internet to be her muse for her writing. She enjoys lacrosse, cheer, dance, and blogging.