Narrative Essay About Thanksgiving Turkey

Recipe for Success

There comes a time when one learns the truth about Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy, but nothing shocked me quite like the time I discovered the truth about my Thanksgiving turkey. Coming from a family of immigrants, we celebrated traditional Indian holidays with grandeur, but never Thanksgiving. In grade school, after hearing about our friends’ lavish plans and making countless drawings of turkeys by tracing our little fingers, my brother and I yearned to have a Thanksgiving feast of our own. Seeing this longing in our eyes, my mother put together scrumptious feasts for us over the next few years that included the traditional sides, and of course, a juicy, home cooked turkey. One Thanksgiving, though, with our eyes wide, and our mouths hanging open, we saw her taking our turkey out of a plastic box

When the moment of truth came, the turkey, browned and glistening, was brought to the table, when suddenly silence enveloped the room; nobody knew how to carve it. My dad, a cardiologist, volunteered to apply his surgical skills, but he failed. Probably because we brined the turkey for too long, it fell apart disastrously.

Although the turkey was less than perfect, we all had a good laugh, creating a bond that will never crumble the way our first Thanksgiving turkey did.

Many families have holiday traditions dating back for generations, but I cherish the fact I had the chance to pioneer these traditions with my family and friends. I was satisfied with my hard work in my first attempt, but have strived to improve in subsequent Thanksgivings by experimenting with new techniques and recipes. I realized that even with a well thought out plan, success is never guaranteed. Real life is not a simple recipe. One has to improvise and learn from trial and error. Perseverance, passion, and failure are the most important ingredients in the recipe for