The aroma of Turkey drifts up the stairs and tickles my nose. The sound of family talking awakes me from my deep slumber. I spring from my bed and quickly jaunt downstairs. We are at Grandma and Grandpa Lally’s house in Saint Louis, and I find my family eating breakfast around the large dining room table fit for a village. It is Thanksgiving Day, and there are few things in this world sweeter than a holiday at Grandma and Grandpa’s house.

My sister, brother and I snarf down our breakfast and make our way into the family room to settle in and watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. With brisk wind biting at the windows, we cuddle together in warm blankets to continue our childhood tradition. The fact we are all 18 or older does not stop us from watching the parade.

My mom helps my grandma in the kitchen preparing for the evening, while my dad and grandpa remain around the breakfast table reading the paper and catching up on the world’s most current events.

The parade ends and it is time to get ready for the evening. Before long, Grandpa and Grandma’s house will be filled to the brim with aunts, uncles and cousins. Eleven aunts and uncles and 29 cousins ranging from age one to 24, to be exact.

 Around 4  p.m. everyone starts arriving. Hugs are given, I love you’s are shared, and the festivities officially begin. My aunts help grandma in the kitchen, and my uncles gather around the TV to watch football. Cousins run amuk through the house, and before long Grandpa gathers everyone together to pray before we eat.

Prayer. It is the center of my large Irish-Italian Catholic family. Each holiday when we all gather together, our prayer has a different theme. Since it is Thanksgiving, we focus on showing our gratitude to God.

Giving thanks. The reason I love Thanksgiving so dearly. Albeit, I adore the glorious food and festive parade, I love it most because it is refreshing to have a day to step back and simply give thanks for all the gifts we have. No presents, no forced parties people don’t actually enjoy, no superfluous sums of money spent on superficial items. Just love, gratitude, and family.

Nothing quite warms my heart like Thanksgiving.

Soon after my family comes together to give thanks to God, we eat. The kids dine first, and then the parents.

After the feasting has concluded, many family members lay back and take a nap, falling into a deep food coma. Before long, though, just when we thought we could not eat anymore, we find a little extra room for the delectable desserts.

The evening is winding down, yet grandma is still hard at work scrubbing dishes. Younger cousins have tuckered out, falling asleep all around the house. Cousins are conspiring in the living room, aunts are prattling around the dinner table, while uncles remain in heated discussions about politics, religion, and all things controversial. The music of Grandpa arguing with his sons provides a comforting soundtrack for the night.

Thanksgiving is one of the best days of the year. However, why can’t Thanksgiving be a lifestyle, not just a one day celebration? I find it ironic society is overwhelmed with gratitude one day, and the next day on Black Friday, people push and shove to get their hands on their favorite material item.

If Thanksgiving was truly a lifestyle, and it was simply emphasized one day in November, the world would be a much more appreciative place. Think about the love people share on Thanksgiving. Imagine that love being shown 365 days a year.

Give thanks, spread love, count blessings. It is important to do this daily, not just once a year.

No matter how many holidays are spent at Grandma’s house, my love for going to that charming house on Gissler is never jaded. A new memory always seems to be made, a million laughs are always shared, and above all, every time I leave St. Louis to return home to Kansas City, I am reminded how blessed I am to have been given such a wonderful family.

All 42 members of my family have had an immense impact on my life, and that is what I am most thankful for this Thanksgiving and everyday.