The best day ever has to be when Thanksgiving comes around every year. Fall is still in the air, and a chilly breeze is just enough to make your nose turn red, making the smell of the crisp leaves tingle your nose. Thanksgiving at the Henson home is just beginning. Having the comfort of family together all at once is one of the best experiences I have had. Grandmothers on both sides of the family cooking together, creating the rich, delicious smell of turkey and endless dishes that are only served during Thanksgiving.

The newest generation of children will run around the house like a pack of wolves, yelling and laughing together as they play tag and run up and down the hallways of the house. Finally, an adult will come around and say, “don’t hurt yourselves, now,” and the children will still run when he leaves to go back to watch the football game. The best part has yet to arrive, the announcement for the meal. “Come and eat! The food is ready! Everybody come get a plate!” my grandma will say as she hands out her Haviland china to the adults who she trusts won’t break the dishes. The kids, as always, will recieve red plastic plates and silverware. As the family has a seat at the table, we enjoy the meal that was worked so hard to put before us.

The table occasionally grows silent as the delicious food makes everyone savor every bite. When the meal is over, we all watch a football game together, play a few games of UNO, and it is soon time for everyone to go home. Leftovers are packaged, and many family members take some home to have as lunch for the next day. As people give hugs goodbye and trickle out the door, we are all left with a sense of thankfulness and gratitude for the family we are blessed with.

I love my class. It’s super awesome and everyone is kinda nice. Today, Mr. C says, oh-kay everybody now you will write down who you think ended slavery on a note card and I will read the answers out loud. I think Abraham Lincoln ended slavery so I write it down on the paper card and then I see Tommy’s card and his says Martin Luther King and then it had a Jr. in front which I do not know what that means. Tommy sees me looking and then he uses his big fingers to cover the answer even though I saw it already. He looks at me really mean and his really big green eyes are super bright like he is angry.

I don’t understand why, I just want to see what he wrote down on the paper card. Then Mr. C comes around and takes his card and just as he picks up my card and walks to the next person, and when I can still smell the warmness of the woosh of air that he leaves as he walks by, I realize that my answer might be wrong. My hands start to get wet and just a teeny tiny bit slippery but I’m not sick, don’t worry. Then, Mr. C walks to the front of the class and I cannot stop thinking about what the right answer is. Then, Mr. C reads the answers out loud and he keeps saying Martin Luther King and the Jr. thing and then all of a sudden he says Abraham Lincoln and every person laughs because it did not say Martin Luther King with the Jr.

My eyes are getting kind of wet but I think it’s because the room is really hot and everybody is sitting close together. The room is so so hot so my eyes are sweating kind of like when you ride your bike around and around and your face drips with sweat. My eyes are dripping sweat too. Tommy looks at me and points with his little fat finger and says, “Anna said that one!” and everyone laughs all over again because I didn’t write down Martin Luther King with the Jr. Why does my heart feel sore? Why does it hurt so bad? I feel like there is a giant hammer beating against the inside of my chest and I can feel a loud bang in my ears. Kind of like when my brother plays loud music and my ears are pumping along to the music. Mr. C says now Tommy don’t say that but it is too late because he already said it.