Every Thanksgiving has story, right? And sort of a character all it’s own.
Thanksgiving 2011 did not let us down. My brother Mike and his wife Christine hosted their first Thanksgiving in their wonderful home; and with the size of our family, the commitment is daunting. It starts with a tentative [timid] email to 40 people, presenting the idea of having the holiday at one house or another. Finally after substantial confusion and offline clarification between the women, we settle on time and place. Well, we settle on place. Time is always interpretive.
This year’s stats:
29 people – all immediate family. This is the biggest blessing of all.
3 post-dinner visitors
3 Dogs, 0 cats
2 Turkeys
(though that might be one of the stories)
Way 2 much food
1 smashed Ping Pong ball
This year’s Firsts: Air hockey, drum lessons and Rock Band
We miss Mary and Dad. Our family has lost two (2) precious people to cancer since June. Dad and sister. A great man and his young daughter. It hurts and their absence is loud. No one needed to talk about the pain, though, because we’re still a big family and we can look around the room and know that everyone has a chunk of grief sitting inside their stomach and in their heart.
We fretted during the weeks prior, separately and on private phone conversations about the holiday and how it will hurt,
and it will be so different.
But here we were. We came. We didn’t stay home and avoid the pain.
Time passes. There’s no asking it to wait while we figure things out.
In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your path straight.
This Thanksgiving was even better because we all understood the pain and shared the void.
Just being together in the same room for the first time since the funerals was healing.
Rock Band and Ping Pong were healing. This year was loud!
Mary and Dad would insist we laugh and play.
We are so unspeakably grateful for this whole family.
