Today was Thanksgiving. I got up leisurely to nothing but Zoey (my sweet dog) wagging her tail and it swishing into a table with papers on it. She’s tall enough to lick my hand when she knows I’m awake. Her tail wagging and JuJu (my black cat) at my feet standing up and stretching. The day was beginning for me at 10 am. That was the first thing I was thankful about this morning – my animals that love me and sleeping in.
But then I hurriedly checked my phone because my son and husband had left earlier this morning to go on their little Tennessee vacation to ride their buggy and 4-wheeler. Something that they’ve done the past few years with a friend and his son. I hate it. Not that I wasn’t there, but because they weren’t here. I finally put my foot down and said this is the absolutely last time they’ll be gone for a holiday.
Checking for that text that they were safe was the next thing that I was thankful for. I always worry when they leave. I know worrying doesn’t help, but that doesn’t stop me. They were not there yet, but safe.
So, for the first few hours of being up sitting at my computer checking email and Facebook I’m feeling sorry for myself. But then I read a post by a friend and it made me feel better. Here’s what she wrote:
Notes to self ~ Sometimes…the holidays just make you shed tears. Bittersweet memories, people gone from this life, and people you miss across the miles. It’s okay. Let the healing tears fall.
So I had my cry and got it over with. Then I got myself up and ready and went to pick up my dad. We ate our Thanksgiving meal at Bob Evans and it was pretty good. My dad always says now that Thanksgiving is so much work for the mothers and we should always just go out to eat. I told him, we love to do it though. We love to have family in our home, making memories, laughing and being together. I really miss that. I miss my mom, my grandmothers, my grandfathers, my uncles. So many gone, holidays just don’t seem the same.
But then I gave thanks for the memories I did have. I hope to make good memories for my son.
How was your Thanksgiving? Did you make memories? Did you find yourself giving thanks?