Happy or Melancholy Thanksgiving Day?

I think I’ve got a case of the Holiday blues. I count myself blessed. It’s just that....Thanksgiving and pretty much every other holiday ain’t what it used to be. Once my parents divorced and we moved to Texas from Louisiana when I was seven, a lot changed. Much for the better. I was literally surrounded by all the characters in my family every day. We lived with my grandmother for 2 years while my mom got her bearings so to speak. That’s a whole other blog entry.

But in my new normal I never felt alone. I approached holidays like a magical countdown because I knew everyone would be at my granny’s house. Later we would alternate between my granny’s house, our house and my Aunt Gladys’ house. Spades. Dominoes. Arguments. Roasting. Lots and lots of food. An abundance of memories. Fast forward to now. Once my Aunt Gladys passed in 2009 and then my grandmother 2 years later it changed. People started branching off - doing their own separate things. It’s just not the same. I miss what once was - overcrowded fun. And so do my twins who were around to witness it.

Last year, I put out a plea and invited the family over for Christmas Eve and they showed up. My heart overflowed. I plan to do it again this year. We’ve already begun the cleaning process (eww Chile it takes a lot to get the house company-ready)! So while I pray they show up in huge numbers again this year - I’m still feeling some kind of way as we are en route to my mom’s. It will be my little family minus Miss Mookie , My sister and my niece, my niece’s dad and my mom. We will have a good time, but we’ll all have that glazed over look of melancholy as we privately reminisce how these gatherings used to be.

Nevertheless, I choose to be happy today despite some key people and elements missing.

Happy Thanksgiving 2019 everyone!