This was our first Thanksgiving without Mom present, and, as it turned out on the calendar, Thanksgiving day also fell on mom's 71st birthday. Several of mom's friends contacted us this week, with concern in their voices and sympathy in their notes and cards letting us know they were thinking of us and missing her, knowing that this would be the first of many holidays this year that we will be celebrating without her.
I think my siblings and I all felt a little "iffy" going into the week, very aware of all the nuances of this year's feast. We were all prepared, and even had discussed that there may be a range of emotions we could feel and have on Thursday, and that it was okay; we gave permission to each other to just "be". But much to our surprise we all realized we're doing really well and it wasn't a sad day at all. In fact, it was the opposite for all of us. While we all commented at one time or another it seemed obvious someone was missing, our spirits weren't dampened at all, and none of us felt sad. We have truly done our work this past year.
Seventeen of us joined together at our house for the day: my family, my sisters and their families, and my brother and his wife. It was a full day of playing games, sharing pictures, talking and celebrating. We were really celebrating as this had been an eventful week prior to the feast day and a reminder that life continues on and is meant to be lived: My oldest niece, A and her husband C, gave birth to their first child--and the first baby of the next generation; My nephew P just finished recruit training ("boot camp") as a Marine and was able to be back home for the holidays before heading off to the other side of the states in January; and my nephew T is living in so. Calif and living his life of adventure there.
We were all truly thankful for the blessings of being together, for the acknowledgement of the losses of the past year, and for the freedom to move forward and not be held back by the events of the prior months. It truly was a day of giving thanks for God's goodness in every twist and turn in the journey on this path.
My mom said the same thing about Thanksgiving - that it was just rich, and full, and joyful. How special! I'm so glad that I got to be a part of it and share with all of you by phone.
ReplyDeleteWe did indeed make it to the Lion King! Kind of a funny place to take your baby to for a first outing...but we had those tickets darn it! :) She slept all but the last 10 minutes of the first half with me in my seat, then I fed her in the bathroom during intermission, and then she slept the whole second half! (I sat in the back with her for the second half because I didn't want to have her cry and have to step over people again to get out!)
Lots of love to you!