The Day After

Well another Thanksgiving has come and gone, and I must admit that this one was not one of the best. As hard as I tried to get into the spirit of the holiday I found that the more I did the worse it felt. I'm not one to get reflective in a public forum but I just feel the need. This was my Mother's favorite holiday (as is with a lot of people, I know) and for years it was her holiday, she prepared the whole feast with help from my aunt while working 12 hour days and loved every minute of it. She would bring out the fine china and the linen tablecloths and just glow with tho joy of it all, yes it's true that in the last few years since she had moved out of her house she couldn't prepare it it still, in my mind, remains her holiday. And while yesterday I didn't feel very thankful at all I now realize how thankful I am to have those memories of all those Thanksgivings which she embraced with such fervor, a tradition she adored even though it wasn't her heritage, because it centered around family and being together and appreciating all you have and not regretting what you don't.

So here's what we're thankful for. The calm before the storm:

My Mother's always favorite dish: "the stuff".

The storm arrives:

Max gets an introduction...yikes!

...and we are thankful.