Then Thanksgiving morning I walked out to see this:
So that had kind of put me in a stinky mood, but more than that I was feeling kind of sad this whole day. I couldn't really put my finger on it, but I just wasn't feeling very happy although I knew it was Thanksgiving day and there are many things that I am thankful for. I just couldn't shake it. As I thought more about it, I realized that there were a few things on my mind. First of all, I was really homesick for family. This year, it was just our immediate family that would be here. I don't love cooking and to cook an entire Thanksgiving meal for just our family is a bit much. Luckily John was going to fry the turkey, so at least I didn't have to worry about that.
Another thing that was making me sad was thinking of all the friends that are spending their first Thanksgiving without their spouse or child. A friend who has lost her husband leaving her and their 5 young children, a long time friend who has lost his wife...who was once a college roommate of mine...leaving him here with their 6 young children, a wonderful family who suddenly lost their only daughter, a granddaughter of our bishop, who was only 2 yrs old, multiple children who have lost their battles with Leukodystrophy, and Paloma's family who said goodbye to her at the Ryan house just 2 days before Thanksgiving. Other than Connie, I didn't really know these families well, but my heart still ached for them knowing the loneliness they are feeling. Most have said goodbye within this month.
I also realized that my mind had been pondering on how quickly things have changed in our family and how over the past few years I have, in a sense, grown to fear November. Looking back at this time over the past few years, it amazes me that it was just three years ago that we were in the hospital with a 22 month old Bryce wondering if he would live to see his 2nd birthday, then the following year when I wrote of a bittersweet moment I had while watching my two little ones, and then just one year ago when we noticed that things weren't quite right with Annalise and had to begin to accept the fact that she too would suffer from the mysterious disease that had attacked Bryce's little body. Last Thanksgiving Bryce and I spent the day in the hospital following his hip surgery.
Once I realized and accepted that these things were bothering me, it was a little easier to work past them and move on to the rest of our day which actually turned out quite nice.
John decided to fry the turkey this year.
This is the turkey that kept John company as he cooked our turkey.
The turkey turned out great! John had to cut the wings off in order for it to fit into the pot, and it took a bit longer to cook then we had thought it would, but in the end...it was delicious!
William introduced Annalise to the "olives on the fingers" ritual they all enjoy.
She seemed to like having them on her fingers. She didn't eat any of them, actually she didn't eat much of anything, but she had fun playing. She mostly enjoyed licking the peanut butter off of her roll.
Overall, it turned out to be a nice, quiet day. It was nice to reflect on all of the things we are thankful for at this time. I am so thankful that our family was together this year and that everyone was healthy!
1 comment:
I wish I would have known that! We always do thanksgiving by ourselves as well, we would have loved to have you over!! It's good you can recognize and move past your "sadness". It's letting it consume us that really hurts us, you truly have many blessings in your life. We love your family!
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