A recent post on dearwendy.com by the columnist known as Wendy describes a Thanksgiving marked less by gathering than by relief. Her plans were cancelled at the last minute, leaving just the four of them at home. The day still had turkey, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, the Macy's parade on TV, and the dog show. The dominant note, however, was gratitude for vaccines.
The piece is short, reflective, and unusually direct about what the family had survived. It is also a useful snapshot of what Thanksgiving looked like for many Americans at that point in the pandemic.
- At a glance:
- Source: dearwendy.com, weekly column by Wendy
- Thanksgiving plans were cancelled at the last minute
- The day was spent at home with the immediate family of four
- Children were scheduled to receive their second vaccine dose the day after Thanksgiving
- The family had been more cautious than average about indoor exposure
- The writer expressed gratitude for vaccines, friends, family, food, and home
What the day actually looked like
No big table. No extended family. The Macy's parade on TV replaced the in-person version. The kids were excited for the dog show. The writer had been baking and cooking for days. There was a walk planned, weather permitting.
That is the texture of pandemic holidays. The rituals were kept, the crowds were not.
Our analysis
The most striking line in the piece is the gratitude for vaccines, with the second dose scheduled for the day right after Thanksgiving. That detail matters because it tells you where the writer was in the pandemic timeline. Children had only just become eligible. The promise of returning to something like normal, school without quarantine threats, dinners out with a babysitter, indoor playdates, was weeks away, not months.
For our readers, the piece is less advice than mirror. It captures the feeling of a holiday that was smaller, but more meaningful for being smaller.
What it means for you
If you have a partner, this is a good moment to talk about what holidays mean to each of you. Pandemic or not, the question of who you spend the day with, and why, says something about what you both value. The piece is a reminder that the day can hold its meaning even when the room is smaller.
Worked example: a gratitude check-in
Say you and your partner are planning a holiday meal together. Try this. Each of you writes down three specific things you are grateful for about the other, not generic ones. "I am grateful you handled the phone call with your mother." Specificity turns gratitude from sentiment into something the other person can actually use. The piece does this in public, with the writer naming friends, family, food, and home.
A note on the timeline
The post was written during a specific window of the pandemic, when vaccines for children had just become available and indoor exposure was still treated with care. Readers in a different moment should read it as a record of that period, not a how-to guide.
What to watch next
Watch how Thanksgiving columns evolve as the pandemic recedes further into the background. Expect more pieces to focus on the ordinary problems of family, travel, and overcommitment, because the pandemic material will eventually run out.
Key takeaways
- Pandemic holidays were smaller, but not necessarily less meaningful.
- The writer's dominant feeling was gratitude for vaccines, not regret about plans.
- Children had only just become eligible for vaccination at the time.
- Specific gratitude, naming what someone did, beats generic gratitude.
- The piece reads as a record of one family's experience, not advice.
Frequently asked questions
Who wrote the Thanksgiving post?
The post was published on dearwendy.com and written by the columnist who goes by Wendy.
How did the family celebrate?
They stayed home as a family of four, watched the Macy's parade and the dog show on TV, and had a traditional Thanksgiving meal.
Why was the writer particularly grateful?
She was grateful that her children were scheduled to receive their second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine the day after Thanksgiving.
Were there any holiday plans that had to change?
Yes. The writer notes that her plans were cancelled at the last minute, leaving the immediate family to celebrate alone.
Is this post offering advice?
No. It is a personal reflection on a specific Thanksgiving during the pandemic.