Today is the day after Thanksgiving 2023. I felt sorry for myself as everyone in the family had another place to go for Thanksgiving dinner. My oldest daughter, who is a family doctor in Columbus, was busy taking call over the Thanksgiving holiday and unable to join us. I talk to her every day and have done so for going on the three years of her residency program. It helps me make sure for myself, and maybe for her, that she is okay and gets home safely as she drives from various day or night shifts to get to her apartment where she then crashes to sleep and barely eats. Some of my other kids have in-laws to share the holidays with and that is lovely. I remember needing to do that with my in-laws years ago when they were alive.
I try to contact family and friends and let them know they always have a place to come to if they need for the holidays, actually any holiday. Many of them had plans with their own families and so began my pity party. Until earlier in the week when I got calls from family who said their plans changed and they were coming. It was lovely and exhausting! I got to make gravy with my oldest brother like we used to and argue over recipes that I wanted to try for the first time but did not have proper pans or know the actual recipe. My husband got to carve a big turkey like we did in the past when the kids were young and my deceased brother who passed away on Thanksgiving several years ago, as well as parents and other relatives, were still alive.
But what is special about this and future holidays are my grandchildren and their cousins. This next generation is an inspiration. We had kids playing piano and blocks and exploring the house. We had macaroni and cheese and fruit available as the menu item of choice for them. We made brownies and ate pumpkin pie with whipped cream out of a can. We also had disappointed faces all around when mom and dad said it was time to go home. Everyone took home plenty of the extra food that was served and after running the dishwasher about five times that day I sat down and crashed myself from exhaustion. I admit I am not twenty anymore but I look forward to the future and another houseful of noisy children big and small.
