How to Keep Your Cool (and Your Sparkle) from Sunrise to Pumpkin Pie
If you’ve ever hosted Thanksgiving, you know the day starts long before anyone rings the doorbell. There’s a moment, early in that morning when the house is still quiet, the coffee’s brewing and the kids are still asleep.
You walk past the table that soon will be overflowing and, for a split second, it feels like everything is under control. Even the turkey looks less intimidating… You look around at the empty table you’ll soon be filling, take a sip of coffee that’s still actually hot, and think you can actually do this, and without a meltdown no less.
The Stuffing, The Turkey and The Timer
Because let’s face it, hosting Thanksgiving is not for the faint of heart. It’s a full-day marathon of cooking, hosting, and emotional regulation. You’re managing recipes, kids, guests, oven space, and expectations all at once. And somehow you pull it off every year. The table always ends up looking like something out of a magazine. The house definitely smells like cinnamon and sage. And everyone swears your stuffing could win awards.
It feels like the whole house is glowing.
Or maybe is that you?
Of course it is!
A Little Sparkle Never Hurts
You with your gold hoops that catch the morning light as you move between the stove and the kitchen island. You with the delicate bracelet that jingles softly every time you open the oven. And of course there’s that small diamond pendant, the one you’ve had for years, that rests against your collarbone. All the more proof that grace doesn’t disappear just because the gravy boat overflowed and a reminder of the joy in the middle of the madness.
Showtime
Before you answer the door, you slip on that ring; the one you only wear on holidays and anniversaries. and instantly, you feel ready.
And the house starts humming with chatter and the beeping oven timer. Someone already needs ice, and a debate has broken out in the other room about football versus parade coverage. Somehow all this doesn’t feel overwhelming, it feels warm and cozy.
Dinner begins and you are serving, passing, slicing, listening, laughing. You catch glimpses of candlelight reflecting off your bracelet as you set down a platter. And pick another one. Through every toast, every story, every round of “just take one more bite, your jewelry becomes part of your story.
The Glow Remains
As the hours pass, the kids are finally asleep, the candles burn low and the guests start to leave with full hearts. You stand in the kitchen for the first still moment since sunrise with plates and pie dish soaking in the sink.
But the sparkle is still there. You catch your reflection in the window, and you see clearly the unmistakable glow of the Thanksgiving host. That glow that comes from being the woman who makes moments happen, who shows up fully, who turns a house into a memory. And the jewelry was there through every part of it, bringing you joy.
The truth is, the shine comes from you, the jewelry just amplifies it.