Thanksgiving · Family member · Warm · about a minute
Warm Thanksgiving Toast From a Grandparent (About 1 Minute)
A grandmother toasting a full house of children and grandchildren, wanting to say how much the family means to her without a speech about family.
Given by Alice, the grandmother. 145 words. The names are made up.
The toast
I'll say my piece, and then you can all eat.
Every Thanksgiving since the first grandchild, I've measured each of you on the pantry door frame before dinner. There are pencil marks on that door going back nineteen years, with names and dates. When your grandfather painted this kitchen, he painted around that door, because I told him I'd move out if he didn't.
This morning Benny got measured for the first time. He's two. He would not stand still, so his line is a little crooked. Aiden got measured too, and he's now taller than the top of the frame, so I had to stand on a chair, and I'm told that doesn't count anymore.
I've got all of you on one piece of wood. It's the best thing I own. Raise your glass. To the pantry door, and to whoever's tallest next year.
Why it works: The pencil marks on the door do all the sentimental work, so she never has to say how she feels in general terms. The youngest and the tallest grandchild give the toast a laugh at both ends.
Make it yours
Borrow the shape, not the lines. Put your own people, your own year and your own detail in each spot, or answer a few questions and get a first draft built from them.