I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving weekend! I am still recovering from all the food I ate - and will be enjoying all the leftovers this week (which are just as good!). It was a really fun weekend being with family and being reminded of all that we have to be grateful for. I love Thanksgiving because it has all the fun of being with family and enjoying all the great food without the craziness of trying to get Christmas presents bought. Don't get me wrong - I love Christmas! I was outside in the rain yesterday putting up Christmas garland and lights, singing Christmas carols, and feeling the Christmas spirit (until my hands were frozen and some of the words coming to mind were not very Christmasy - then I as over it). But Thanksgiving is almost that "calm before the storm" day.
Our family got together on Saturday this year and I was looking forward to it all week! I am from Jackson, Tennessee so as I made the 2 hour drive down the interstate, I was singing and dancing and in a great mood - yes, I am that guy that you pass and thinks no one sees him grooving to the beat. In true family form - my sister called at one point to tell me that they were not waiting on me to eat so I better hurry up! I thought maybe it was a joke, but as I walked in the door everyone had eaten not only their meal, but dessert as well! No worries though - the kitchen counter was still overflowing with all of the delicious Thanksgiving staples - ham, turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, casseroles, and Asian slaw (doesn't everyone eat Asian slaw at Thanksgiving?). I piled my plate high and enjoyed every bite of it before hitting the dessert table. It is one of those days where you know you are full, but you keep eating because the taste buds are loving it! One of the best parts about family get-togethers like this is you just keep snacking throughout the night! Talking and eating and talking and eating. Most of the time you do not even realize it - your hand just keeps stuffing your face. Mom had been cooking and preparing all week - and we all enjoyed every minute of her hard work!
As the night continued, I was reminded once again how much the love of family means to me. My 92 year old grandmother - who is still as feisty and funny as ever - was able to come up and join us and that meant so much. She commented more than once how she loved being around her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. I thought of how life must look from her perspective - to see the fruits of her labor and to know that she is loved so much. Of course my two year old niece and almost one year old nephew kept us busy as well. I love them so much and they were both enjoying all of the attention that they deserve! I would say that life from their perspective is pretty good as well. Things are still very new to them, they are loved and spoiled, and let's face it - they have it made! As with every family gathering, at some point during the night - my two sisters, my mom, and myself will end up in the kitchen (because that's where the food is) talking about our lives, other people's lives, reliving funny memories, and laughing the entire time! There is always a "confession" that shocks mom - and my sisters and I like to tell on each other until we have taken it a little bit too far - but at this point, I do not think that mom is surprised anymore. One thing is for sure - love runs deep in our family and laughs are loud whenever we get together.
As the night came to an end, and my food coma began to take over, I felt grateful. Mom loved having everyone home and I loved being there. I know that many of you experience the same love when you get together with family. I am also aware that others do not. Family takes on many forms and whatever your situation, I hope that you experiences the love of whomever you call family and at the end of the day can feel very grateful for those special people in your life.
Today I am grateful for: 1. A great weekend to be with friends and family 2. All of the great food that I enjoyed and continue to enjoy 3. Mom's hard work at making such a great day for all of us 4. Being together with family and loving every minute of it 5. All of those I call family.
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