I am 48 years old and for those 48 years I have attended every family get together that I can recall. Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve at Grandma Derryberry's, Christmas Day at Mam's, Easter at Mom & Dads, and since Dad passed away, every Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter at Mom's.
My immediate family isn't very big. It's just Mom, my sister, Kim and her husband Jeff, Kim's girls, Camellia, Jessica, Elli and Ava. Then there is my family: me, Rick, Austin & Ashley and the grandloves, Addi and Mike, Rainey, Larani and Tully. That's us. What we lack in number we make up for in love and laughs.
This is year, Thanksgiving is being held a few days early so Kim and Jeff can celebrate with his family in Tulsa on the official Turkey Day. Sunday afternoon, everyone will gather at Mom's house. Dinner is promptly at 1:00...well, if Camellia and Austin are on time, that is! There will be turkey and dressing, cranberry salad, baked beans, deviled eggs, broccoli casserole and pie. All the usual trimming, except us.
I talked to Mom yesterday and she said she was going to attempt to make my broccoli casserole, but she knew it wouldn't be as good as mine. Rick's not there to smoke the turkeys or bake the pies, and I'm sure Mom will say that they aren't fit to eat since she made them! She said every time she thinks about us not being there, she cries.
Tonight it hit me. I was working on reports for school and it dawned on me that it was Sunday morning in the states. In just a few hours my kids, grandkids, sister and her family will gather at my mom's house. And that we won't be there. I posted on FB, tucked Tully in and came back to finish up the last of the reports.
Then Kim wrote on my wall.
Happy Early Turkey Day!!! Ava helped me make the baked beans and they're about to go
back in the oven. My eggs are boiled and are soon to be deviled. Mom has the turkey and ham ready to go in the oven, along with her version of your broccoli casserole, but it sure won't be the same without all you guys. There will be 16 of us this year. We've squeezed 12 chairs around Mom's table. Barb will be joining us and I think Addi and Jessica are skinny enough to sit at the corners. lol! I'll try to take lots of pictures to post for you and we'll try not to have any leftovers. Mom said she wasn't cooking nearly as much this year. Right, whatever. It sounds like an awesome Christmas experience for you in Dubai. You're making the memories of a lifetime, so make the most of it! Just know that you're loved and missed Sis! Give Tully a dutch rub on his head for me, and big hugs and kisses to all! Love You!
I started reading it out loud to Rick. Before the end of the second sentence I was sobbing. It hit me. For the first time in 48 years, I won't be there to celebrate with my entire family. Sure, Rick and I will make Thanksgiving special somehow here in this land where turkey are hard to come by and there is no such thing as Libby's pumpkin pie filling. Sure, we are living our dream and very happy about the decision we made. But every opportunity has a cost. Today, I am paying the price. What would I give to walk into Mom's and smell the turkey and stir the noodles, sit in her teeny tiny front room and visit and laugh with everyone while my grandbabies climb all over me, hug my sweet Addi's neck and smell Austin's cologne as he gives me one of his big bear hugs?
Instead, I'll cry a few more tears, write it down to get out and be thankful that they are all able to be together. I may not be there in body, but my heart is right there, loving them all, missing them much.
My immediate family isn't very big. It's just Mom, my sister, Kim and her husband Jeff, Kim's girls, Camellia, Jessica, Elli and Ava. Then there is my family: me, Rick, Austin & Ashley and the grandloves, Addi and Mike, Rainey, Larani and Tully. That's us. What we lack in number we make up for in love and laughs.
This is year, Thanksgiving is being held a few days early so Kim and Jeff can celebrate with his family in Tulsa on the official Turkey Day. Sunday afternoon, everyone will gather at Mom's house. Dinner is promptly at 1:00...well, if Camellia and Austin are on time, that is! There will be turkey and dressing, cranberry salad, baked beans, deviled eggs, broccoli casserole and pie. All the usual trimming, except us.
I talked to Mom yesterday and she said she was going to attempt to make my broccoli casserole, but she knew it wouldn't be as good as mine. Rick's not there to smoke the turkeys or bake the pies, and I'm sure Mom will say that they aren't fit to eat since she made them! She said every time she thinks about us not being there, she cries.
Tonight it hit me. I was working on reports for school and it dawned on me that it was Sunday morning in the states. In just a few hours my kids, grandkids, sister and her family will gather at my mom's house. And that we won't be there. I posted on FB, tucked Tully in and came back to finish up the last of the reports.
Then Kim wrote on my wall.
Happy Early Turkey Day!!! Ava helped me make the baked beans and they're about to go
back in the oven. My eggs are boiled and are soon to be deviled. Mom has the turkey and ham ready to go in the oven, along with her version of your broccoli casserole, but it sure won't be the same without all you guys. There will be 16 of us this year. We've squeezed 12 chairs around Mom's table. Barb will be joining us and I think Addi and Jessica are skinny enough to sit at the corners. lol! I'll try to take lots of pictures to post for you and we'll try not to have any leftovers. Mom said she wasn't cooking nearly as much this year. Right, whatever. It sounds like an awesome Christmas experience for you in Dubai. You're making the memories of a lifetime, so make the most of it! Just know that you're loved and missed Sis! Give Tully a dutch rub on his head for me, and big hugs and kisses to all! Love You!
I started reading it out loud to Rick. Before the end of the second sentence I was sobbing. It hit me. For the first time in 48 years, I won't be there to celebrate with my entire family. Sure, Rick and I will make Thanksgiving special somehow here in this land where turkey are hard to come by and there is no such thing as Libby's pumpkin pie filling. Sure, we are living our dream and very happy about the decision we made. But every opportunity has a cost. Today, I am paying the price. What would I give to walk into Mom's and smell the turkey and stir the noodles, sit in her teeny tiny front room and visit and laugh with everyone while my grandbabies climb all over me, hug my sweet Addi's neck and smell Austin's cologne as he gives me one of his big bear hugs?
Instead, I'll cry a few more tears, write it down to get out and be thankful that they are all able to be together. I may not be there in body, but my heart is right there, loving them all, missing them much.
