Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday. My whole family, relative and extended, gets together to enjoy each other's company and some well-deserved homemade food. I can't think of a better way to reunite souls after being apart for months or even a year.

Some of my fondest memories from my childhood come from Thanksgiving. Every year, starting when I was about six years old, I went to stay over my Grandmother's house the night before Thanksgiving. My parents and I would spend the day at her house helping her set the table, rip the bread for the stuffing, and clean the house in preparation for Thanksgiving day. After eating dinner together, my parents drove back to our home, leaving me with Gram to spend the night.

Part of our tradition was that we would do the same things together every year. Gram is a huge fan of having chocolate after dinner, so, naturally, we had to have a bowl of chocolate ice cream before doing anything else. One year, Gram taught me how to play checkers because it is one of her favorite games. The first couple of times that we played, I was still getting the hang of the game; Gram beat me in almost every round we played. Eventually, I started beating her at her own game.

Every year, Gram makes her stuffing the night before. I would stand at the stove and help break up the sausage in the pan while Gram put the rest of the ingredients into the pot. The whole kitchen filled with the most amazing smells, and we couldn't wait for the next day.

Before going to sleep, we always read a book together. Gram always had great books with the most beautiful illustrations in them. We would read until we got tired, then we'd both climb into her bed; even her little dog would climb in too. We slept soundly until the early morning when it was time to put the turkey in the oven and prepare for the day.

I looked forward to this tradition all year long. My Grandmother and I have always been very close, and spending this time with her every year before Thanksgiving only strengthened our bond. A few years ago, my family moved into Gram's house when she moved to Maine. Now, she comes and stays over the night before Thanksgiving and we all do the preparations together. I am extremely thankful for my family this year, and for all of the traditions, we have established together throughout the years.