Post Thanksgiving musings

Thanksgiving isn’t like it used to be. When we were younger, the table with filled with family, friends, kids, barking dogs and lots of frenetic activity. It actually used to grate on my nerves but, now that it’s gone, I miss it.

Chuck and I have lost so many family members and friends recently. And since I’m an only child and Chuck’s mom and dad were only children, we didn’t have that many to begin with. Don't get me wrong though, I still love fixing a feast even if it's only for the two of us. As long as I see Chuck's appreciative smiles, I'm all good.

We do have family but they're scattered across the country and, in some cases, the world, so it's not so easy getting together anymore. Phone calls are fine and still connect us, but it's not the same as gathering around a table together.

A lot of our friends are experiencing similar situations. They scroll through social media and see families celebrating at large gatherings like in a Norman Rockwell painting and wish it were them.

According to the Washington Post, Americans spent less time with friends and extended family over the Thanksgiving weekend in the past two years than they had a decade prior. Between 2014 and 2019, time spent with friends went down and time alone went up by more than it did during the pandemic.

At our home, lost loved ones and pets, travel memories and more are all represented on our Christmas tree each year so they will always be remembered. I even have a hand-knitted ornament from my second-grade teacher hanging on the tree. Some would say I’m too sentimental - Chuck says I've saved everything anyone I’ve ever loved has touched, and this is probably true (I have a storage locker to prove it), but it all brings me comfort. As does our home which is already festively decorated from head to toe for Christmas. Hopefully, Santa will stop by. Maybe he’ll stay for dinner. There’s room at the table.