Nicole’s e-Pistle

November 26, 2025

Happy Thanksgiving, Friends!

A couple of weeks ago, Lovinia brought home a plain, undecorated brown paper turkey. The homework assignment was to disguise the turkey, so it would not become Thanksgiving Dinner! All the students in kindergarten returned to school with superhero turkeys, turkeys changed into other animals, turkeys dressed in business suits, etc. Lovinia put a large orange beak on hers with big, webbed feet and a dialogue bubble attached that said, “Quack… I’m a duck!”

As we look forward to sitting with our families and friends around the Thanksgiving table tomorrow, I wonder… what are the disguises we wear, and why do we feel the need to hide our true selves? Of course, there are plenty of come-as-you-are kinds of families, but often, even if we have incredibly loving and supportive people in our lives, I suspect we all feel the need to project an ideal version of ourselves to those around us.

As I shopped at the grocery store yesterday with my mom, I ran into the woman who used to live in the house across the street from us. She has two boys who will forever be 12 and 10 in my memory, but who are actually in their early 40s like me. As we caught up next to the butter and eggs, there was an undercurrent of “show” on both sides… How have you been? What are the guys doing these days? Yes, I would love to see pictures of the kids! It reminded me of my first high school reunion, when everyone had something to prove.

I wonder what our relationships would be like if we let our guard down with people. What if it was okay to have our thoughts and opinions without fear of argument or judgement? What if, in the face of disagreements over sports teams or politics or pumpkin vs. pecan pie, we could all see each other as “both/and” instead of “either/or?” What if, when it comes down to it, we’re all just turkeys doing our best to thrive in this world?

May our holidays be filled with laughter and joy. May we find common ground with those we love and those we tolerate. May we see past the masks and disguises behind which others hide, and may we be bold enough to step out from behind our own.

Blessings and Peace,