Thankful Day 27
Today is Thanksgiving. It’s one of the biggest family holidays of the year. For years my family went to our family reunion on Thanksgiving. For my first year or two of boarding school, we had an extra long break and I flew home. My last two years of high school I stayed on campus with a few of the international students. It was my first experience as a Thanksgiving orphan. And my first experience with an orphan’s Thanksgiving. One of the school nurses had us all out to her house off campus and fed us Thanksgiving dinner. I have seldom made it home for Thanksgiving over the past twenty or thirty years. Most years I’m on my own. That bothers other people more than it bothers me. For some reason people get upset at the idea that I might not eat turkey on this one day of the year.
When I was in college, I enjoyed being alone for Thanksgiving. It was one of the very few days when all three of my roommates were gone and I had the house all to myself. When I was married, we went to my in-laws for Thanksgiving dinner. When I got divorced, it was a relief to be alone again. But even so, some years friends invite me over. Last year I traveled to Maryland and spent the weekend with Mea, and for the first time in a long time, truly enjoyed myself spending Thanksgiving at someone else’s house.
This year I am thankful for friends like Mea, who open their homes to me out of love. And who also understand when sometimes I say, this year I’d rather be alone.
When I was in college, I enjoyed being alone for Thanksgiving. It was one of the very few days when all three of my roommates were gone and I had the house all to myself. When I was married, we went to my in-laws for Thanksgiving dinner. When I got divorced, it was a relief to be alone again. But even so, some years friends invite me over. Last year I traveled to Maryland and spent the weekend with Mea, and for the first time in a long time, truly enjoyed myself spending Thanksgiving at someone else’s house.
This year I am thankful for friends like Mea, who open their homes to me out of love. And who also understand when sometimes I say, this year I’d rather be alone.