Thanksgiving at The Farm

Thanksgiving traditions are worth more than all the wealth of nations when they are built using solid families who understand their relationships to each other, their maker, and the land on which they grow. Sarah's family has built such a tradition on a little farm, just outside York, South Carolina. I have been a part of that tradition for 41 years, but it is much older than Sarah, even.
The Farm it is known as in the family and the only two people living there today are Sarah's oldest brother, Carroll, and her only living aunt, Nell, who lives in a mobile home in front of the house. The house has its own road, Arrow Road, that extends about one half a mile between two main roads. It is relatively isolated.
The Farm, and all the land was sold to the local electrical co-op several years ago, but they allow Carroll to keep living in the old house for a small monthly charge. He has a big garden and grape and blackberry bushes, but the old tractor does little work any longer except haul around the children on Thanksgiving.
Most of the cousins started their own Thanksgiving traditions when the farm was sold, so only Sarah, her sister and two brother, and all their families keep the long tradition going. But, there are a lot of children right now so it is not unusual to have upwards of forty people at one of the gatherings.
There were years when the total of people present would climb to sixty or seventy, but those days are long gone. The old dinner bell outside still rings for all to come to eat, as it has for all those years. The old kitchen still holds all the food that is prepared with a slow line going through.
My children love this tradition, and we were responsible for 11 of the attendees this year, Carroll 5, Becky 13, Don5, and Aunt Nell 3. Two of my daughter-in-laws could not attend. The kids chase the chickens and play with the dogs and ride the tractor. Us old people stand around and talk, and eat, of course.
This tradition probably has between five and ten years left. I doubt that the generation of our children can hold it together, but I would not bet on that. Because we have over three acres here, it well may move to our house some day. That would be great. The grandchildren only four or five already know that going to The Farm for Thanksgiving is a special event.