Thanksgiving what?

I must say that this was a Thanksgiving like no other; I had anticipated it, I knew it was coming. Regardless, I have to say that I approached it with a rather poor attitude. You see, I am a creature of habit, especially around the holidays. I love looking forward to all the little traditions that have always been done in my family year after year after year. Thanksgiving has always been celebrated with my dad's family; turkey, mashed potatoes, apple pie, Macy's parade, sleeping in and football have been the cornerstone of the day.



This year, however, saw none of the afore mentioned. My parents and I were to fly out to Seattle on Thanksgiving day to visit my brother, who was unable to come home. Despite the fact that my mom tried to temper my frustration at not having a Thanksgiving day feast by providing one last Sunday, I awoke Thursday essentially dreading the coming day. We left at 8am, arrived in Seattle at 8pm, and spent the rest of the evening trying to find somewhere to eat. Not an open restaurant was to be found, so my Thanksgiving feast consisted of about five pieces of ravioli heated in a microwave.



This is a bit of a whiny sob story, but it does have a point. When I walked down the ramp exit in Sea-Tac International Airport toward baggage claim and saw my brother standing there waiting for us, a huge smile on his face, nothing else mattered. Everything that day that had made me wonder why I was sitting on a cramped airplane rather than napping on a couch at grandma's house melted away from my consciousness, and I was left instead with something so much more valuable: love, family, completeness, joy.



This all may sound a bit cliché, but it has left me with a sense of what is really important around the holidays. We become so overinvolved in what we expect and what others expect of us that what's truly valuable is completely lost. I'd forgotten what it felt like to be a family, complete and together, undistracted by life's demands. I'm trying to let go of my innate desire to avoid change, and this was an incredible chance for me to be challenged. I praise God for not allowing me to be happy in my complacence. How much more fulfilling life is, if we will just step out of our box, even if for a moment! A little bit can go such a long way. This all, of course, is applicable to much more than just holiday traditions (let us stretch our minds a little bit here).



Interesting note: I've had 22 Thanksgivings in my life thus far, and I cannot remember any specific memories from a single one. This year, well, I will remember it for the rest of my life.