‘Laughter is healing and joy’: Richmond Hill family brings fun experience to Friendsgiving

Each person that enters Sally Rejas’ home for Friendsgiving has a different story.

Some are introverts looking to break out of their shell and for some, it is a somber time for military spouses separated from their loved ones. No matter the situation, Rejas and her husband Daryl have a celebration fit for a king – and queens, too.

The two play host to their Annual Friendsgiving dinner in Richmond Hill each year, and Rejas goes all out to provide a unique experience.

This is their story.

Sally Rejas decorates for her annual Friendsgiving celebration at her family's Richmond Hill home.

‘Our friends become family’

With her creative mind and holiday spirit, Rejas comes up with a new theme each year. One year, invitees brought a dish based off the color assigned to them. Last year, Rejas was determined to bring a llama but had to settle for an Alpaca instead.

“No one expected to see that in our yard,” said Rejas. “That was wonderful.”

Guests never know what she will come up with next but they know it will be a memorable experience. This year, the Amazing Spider-Man might make an appearance.

This year’s feast will include a potluck and everyone will bring their favorite dish.

Sally Rejas takes a photo with the Alpaca she brought to her home during a previous Friendsgiving event.

For neighbors like Beatrice Saint Fleur, Friendsgiving was a way for her to open up. She admitted to being an introvert but the celebration was so good in 2022, she is coming back this year. And she is bringing her in-laws.

“She has opened the door for me to put myself out there,” said Saint Fleur. “That is not the easiest thing for me to do.”

Saint Fleur’s husband is in the military and she works from home. Rejas’ invite was an icebreaker and a reminder to get out of her comfort zone.

“The beginning of his service was not a good experience for me, so I distanced myself from certain activities,” said Saint Fleur. “It takes one person to say you should do this even though you had a bad experience. Right now, I am slowly putting myself out there.”

Karaoke and games highlight past gatherings and each person leaves with a gift. Last year, Saint Fleur received a tray with her family’s name on it.

“I thought it was really lovely of her, not knowing us and opening her door and having this gathering to get to know each other,” said Saint Fleur. “Since we didn’t know anyone, it was a good way to get myself out there. She planned it very well. It was really nice of her to open her home.”

Rejas said opening her home to others feels natural and the relationships that form that can never be severed.

"Our friends become family," said Rejas. "I always say we don't get to choose our family but we get to choose our friends that become family."

‘Laughter is joy and healing’

For the average family, Thanksgiving consists of gathering around the table and preplanning for Black Friday.

Military families do not always have that luxury.

Rejas’ husband was deployed when she gave birth to their son. He was 1-month old when her husband returned and Rejas decided to have Friendsgiving despite having spent months away from her husband and having a newborn. Rejas could not stand the thought of shutting her doors to families who would have spent Friendsgiving alone.

Francisco Martinez was killed 20 years ago and was a friend of the Rejas family.

One friend never had the luxury of experiencing the good times in the Rejas household.

Family friend Francisco Martinez died Nov. 4, 2003 while serving as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He was killed near Baghdad by an improved explosive device (IED).

“We deal with it,” said Rejas. “It could be years and it still breaks my heart. It is hard to hear a seven-gun salute because I remember the funeral service. You hear about someone dying or a wounded warrior or people not coming home. We know they made the ultimate sacrifice. It’s what we signed up for.”

Although he passed a couple years before she began hosting Friendsgiving, his death is a reminder of the families who have an empty seat at the table.

“A lot of our neighbors are in Poland,” said Rejas. “Things are happening in society that we cannot control. You don’t know the stress that is building in the house of a military family. I always keep an eye on the family.”

"Gobble 'till you Wobble" is the theme for Sally Rejas' annual Friendsgiving celebration.

But there are happy times, too. Rejas recalls having “authentic joy” and “laughing unapologetically” during past gatherings. It is a time of bonding and a time to be thankful for the soldiers who made it home.

“I can remember laughing from some of the games we played,” said Rejas. “One was where we put all the balloons on the floor and tried to pop them – then there was the time when we danced with glow sticks. Laughter is joy and laughter is healing.”