Thanksgiving

It was just my husband and I for the holiday so we went to another family members house to celebrate. Usually we have a houseful of guests, 20-25 people but yesterday there were only 14 of us and it felt just right. Halloween through the New Year's Eve is my favorite time of year. There is always one moment when it sinks into my thick head that the Christmas season is upon me. It has nothing to do with shopping or hearing Christmas music; it' a moment when I feel the Christmas spirit. We have all had holidays that are better than others and it is moments I recall that stay with me, like opening a closet in my parents house as a child and finding Christmas presents, or wondering why my oldest brother who was home between semesters from law school did not share my zeal to wait at the Christmas tree at 5am with my two younger brothers to open our presents. He sent us back to bed; or the first year I experienced Christmas after my father had passed away only two months earlier or spending the holidays broken hearted over a lover affair that was not meant to be, or the year my grandmother died at 1am on December 26th.

There are moments we all carry with us from year to year - this is our own personal history and for better or worse these memories stay with us. I had a wonderful Thanksgiving this year. I hope you all did as well.