Thanksgiving Mass

My family was going to thanksgiving without me! They would celebrate the holiday and stuff their faces with food and laugh and share stories while I ate a Happy Meal. As if that wasn’t bad enough, my mother was guilt tripping me into going to church to celebrate a holiday they don’t even celebrate in England. She had been telling me for weeks about a Thanksgiving mass at St. Paul’s Cathedral for the American community in London, and how she would disown me if I didn’t go. So being the rebellious son that I am I did exactly as I was told, and woke up at the crack of dawn to obey my mother’s orders. After many grueling seconds of worrying about missing my class, I was able to contain myself, and headed off to central with a fellow university student. Once we got there, however, my friend decided he did not want to be there, and went home, leaving me all alone in a cathedral of strangers. As the choir quietly hummed their hymns I gazed around the cathedral and took in all it had to offer. The place was truly amazing with its high ceilings and remarkable architecture. It was almost impossible for me to believe it was made completely by hand, with no help from machines. Soon after settling into my seat, two American girls studying in London took their seat next to me and we had a conversation about England and our time in the country. It was a relief to hear so many American accents and really made me feel like I was back home. The mass was surprisingly engaging and kept my attention throughout. Afterwards I wandered around and met many more Americans all of which shared with me their thanksgiving stories from past years. I really enjoyed my time at the cathedral that morning, and while I did not have my family to share it with me I was still able to form, in a sense, my own family within the cathedral walls. Once again, I learned that my mother is always right.

photo credit: http://www.londonsorted.com/saint-pauls-cathedral/