This is my 30th Thanksgiving. It's funny how I can't really remember stand-out holidays from my childhood. Of all my thanksgivings, the one I remember most fondly was just two years ago.
The week prior to Thanksgiving, we got a hair to drive 10 hours to visit some extended family of mine in Indiana. The trip there was easy-peasy. While we were there, we had a great time reconnecting with cousins, aunts and other family on my dad's side. This was especially important for me given that my dad was undergoing chemo for his cancer. I couldn't get enough stories about him.
I also had a couple job interviews...because we'd decided we might like to just start anew somewhere. Boy, was that a stupid idea. It's when EVERYTHING changed.
On the way home, our son got VERY, VERY sick. The 10 hours home took 2 days, one hotel stay for multiple vomiting episodes and many, many tears. Somewhere along the way, I had a total breakdown and said instead of moving away, we were moving back HOME, where we belonged. We spent the next week in the hospital with our son, missing Thanksgiving altogether.
After being dismissed on Saturday after turkey day, on Sunday I threw together a small turkey, stove top stuffing, boxed potatoes, canned corn and Sara Lee pie. My husband and I and our kids gathered around a candlelit table and enjoyed our last Thanksgiving in our home.
Here I am today, SOOO thankful that we came home. So thankful to have my lovely home, family gathered in it for the holiday, a job that I LOVE, a medical treatment plan to help our son get better, and so many other wonderful blessings.
It's amazing how one sick child can change everything - and how a make-do menu thrown together at the last minute can create such amazing memories.
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