Wednesday, November 21, 2012

The Table

Happy Thanksgiving, my family.

What's fun is I'm texting mom right now & she is saying "Goodnight" as I am saying a slow "Goodmorning."
It's like that oreo commercial http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yl95nIN3Jx8

Anyway, I just had a few thoughts I wanted to share with my family on this big family day - my favorite Holiday of all. 

It's not my favorite because I can stuff my belly 'till full and feal no shame about it, because Jessie is to my left & usually Maggie or Annie is to my right doing the same (never change, ladies). And it's not my favorite because of the pie, because pecan pie is simply my favorite for the morning after.
But this Holiday is my favorite because we are all together, under one roof, under one prayer - that we get to have another Thanksgiving next year & years to come. That we will love each other more, better. That we will give more than we take and that we won't look for recognition behind us. And that we will live everyday like it was our last.

This Thanksgiving is especially special, because we celebrate one of our empty chairs at the table as our Uncle Paul, spending Thanksgiving at the table of Heaven. We lost him to a battle that we were unable to defeat, but was defeated years ago by the true Warrior himself. It would be a lie to say that this Thanksgiving won't be different without his big hugs, sweet tears, kind words and incredible love filling the already warm room. But it would also be a lie to say we won't have that again. I can see him now with a plate solely dedicated to fruit jello and pumpkin pie, cheering us on in this worldly life. 

So as you sit around the table and take either hand at your side to pray, remember what brought you all, us all, to this place. To this house. To this family. Whether you are a cousin, a mom, an uncle or a teacher (Mr. Augenstein, I hope you have continued the tradition) you have found a seat at this table from your own journey and I, for one, am thankful you did. What a year we have had, and how different we look with additions to the family, and losses as well. But we are still a family, and that is something we will never lose.

As for me, I'll be spending the day personally thanking everyone in England for their pilgrimage to America over a ready-made turkey sandwich with cranberry sauce - it ain't a bad life.

Know that I love you more than I will ever be able to express and I miss you more than I can say on here without jumping on the next flight home.
Eat a slice of pie for me in the morning, Pappy.
And Momba, have some stuffing for the two of us.

Happy Thanksgiving