Growing up in rural Tensas Parish, my paternal grandparents lived nearby. Any and all special occasions revolved around their home. I had a particularly close bond with my grandmother, and we would set the table, do the flowers and hang out in the kitchen.
I had three boy cousins who were like brothers to me. I remember the beginning of deer season coinciding with Thanksgiving and their excitement about hunting with their dad. I personally felt sick every time I saw the undignified look of a dead deer, slack-tongued in the back of a truck. I didn’t like the idea of killing beautiful animals, and quite often I would cry.
One day when I could barely see over the dashboard, I rode with my El Camino-cruising grandfather to deliver venison to some people in our community. After asking why he was doing this, it became apparent to me just how fortunate we were.?
I think that is the beginning of my journey with gratitude, and the concept of sharing the bounty. It also gave me a new perspective when I realized some families would not eat meat for the year were it not for hunting.
Thanksgiving really blossomed for me as an only child when I first started dating my husband, the fourth of six New Orleans siblings. They always met at his aunt and uncle’s house in Covington, which they called “the country.”?
Rebecca Vizard outside her St. Joseph store on Feb. 26, 2024.
I had never seen such wonderful, loving, fun and industrious commotion. To be in a room with this group whose histories were so entangled and who absolutely adored each other was the deepest joy imaginable. Their genuine warmth and kindness penetrated my bones.
But their humor kept them from being sappy. I immediately knew that I wanted to be part of this hilarious gang and drink whatever Kool-Aid they were drinking. They made it very obvious to me that healthy family ties and close relationships with family and friends were not to be taken lightly.?
When fate took a turn and we ended up back in remote Tensas Parish, I have to admit I felt like I failed at launching. I was young and thought that cities offered the best of everything. I wasted too much time pouting and not focusing on gratitude. As soon as I started focusing on the good things in my life, that is when things got really good.
My wonderful redheaded children creatively played on the banks of Lake Bruin. Our rich Delta soil provided lots of fresh produce and especially tangy tomatoes. We sat down to family dinners most nights and heard about everyone’s day. We all learned how to cook almost as well as my husband. I started a business (with incredible support from my sweetheart) that quenched my creative thirst and fulfilled my curiosity. And we all learned what it is like to help a struggling community.?
I know I’m lucky in this stage of life to reflect on life lessons and glean the most gratitude for each of life’s successes and failures. I am most grateful for my husband, children, grandchildren and family. But I would be remiss if I didn't also give thanks for my friends, co-workers (who are now family and friends), my precious pets and all those who have gone before me and been so influential in my life.?
I thank God for good health and the natural beauty that surrounds us, the bounty of the land, the freedoms and comforts our country provides. And I am grateful for our beautiful, soulful Louisiana, for my little community and our wonderful church and priest. I often think I am even grateful for gratitude, because that is what I’ve discovered is the key to life.