My uncle is about 72 yrs old and his wife is around that age. He walked me down the aisle at my wedding, he was my mother's brother and they were very close. He has said my Mom was one of his heroes. Since she passed away in 2007, it felt really good to spend the day with him. Two of his adult children, my cousins, were also there and some spouses and their children. You get the idea. Extended family. I had not seen my cousin Erik since my wedding almost 12 yrs ago. Literally saw his daughter as a baby and now she is a sophomore in high school. Funny how that happens. We lose track of family even though they are only a few hrs away. But since a reunion held on the East Coast this summer, and really since my mom's death, I've felt myself re-connecting w/ many family members I hadn't talked to in years.
And, the great thing--it was easy to talk to everyone. They were all very open and accepting. My cousin's son who is a senior was like a one-man show entertaining my kids. My son was in heaven having an older boy there who was cool, cracking everyone up and willing to talk to him!! Next thing you know the 3 of them (my 2 children and cousin "C") are dancing, doing skits, rolling on the floor just having a great time. My cousin "J" is so much fun and couldn't get enough of Emma. We all stayed up chatting and talking til late and then we spent the night at my uncle's. My daughter kept saying, "Is the funny boy going to come back in the morning."
So as you can see, Thanksgiving really wasn't about the food for me at all. It was there, I ate it. All the usual suspects: turkey, mashed potatoes, some stuffing, green beans, rolls, gravy, cranberry sauce and 3 kinds of pie with Cool Whip for dessert. Oh, well, I only tried 1 kind of pie, and it was a small piece, just to clarify!
My cousin kindly brought the pies, and pie is about all Emma ate, but pie just doesn't do it for me. That's ok, my waistline is happy for that. If there had been a chocolate pie, then you might have had to hold me back. LOL!The entire feast left me feeling truly blessed and humbled. Blessed because I was with this great, happy group of my extended family and humbled because here is this sweet older couple in their 70's who cooked this whole meal and included us. I should have been cooking THEM a meal!! They kept saying how happy they were to do it. Sometimes, it takes being a part of something to realize that you want to be there and be a part of it. Does that make sense???
My uncle is the cutest. He has a degree in engineering, spent his career inspecting buildings for earthquake safety and is a highly intelligent guy. He was there when I got Master's Degree, he was by my side on my wedding day, and he cried with me at my Mom's funeral. He has always been a person who supported and loved me through the years and when I was at his house, I could feel my Mom's presence. When we were in the living room, all of us laughing and watching the kids entertain the crowd, I felt like my Mom was watching too. And I mean that. The day felt just a little bit less hollow then it normally would since her death and I'm so glad I took the time to ask him what he was doing for Thanksgiving. There may not be many more chances for times together. Life is precious and can change in an instant. So this year, on this Thanksgiving day, the turkey just wasn't that important. But the lessons were. I might not have everything I want and I don't always get it all done. I'm not perfect. Life isn't perfect. It never will be. Yet, I'm blessed. And I'm grateful. And if you read this far, then I'm thankful for that, too!
