I hope you’re taking some time to spend with your family today (if you’re reading this on Thursday and live in the USA, shame on you! 😉 ) In the US we’re celebrating Thanksgiving – a day to cherish family, make new memories, and gorge ourselves on turkey and pumpkin pie.
This year my husband and I are spending Thanksgiving Day alone. No turkey, no fancy pies, no football, no family. Just a yummy meal, some quality time together, a movie or three and a huge bowl of popcorn. Before you start feeling sorry for me, know it was partially our choice.
My family has always been super close. Every holiday, birthday, heck, practically every day we tried to spend together. (I’m an only child, so that made it easy.) However, in May of this year my family was ripped apart. My parents, the “perfect couple,” split up, and my world was forever changed.
Because of the split, we cannot spend Thanksgiving with family. I won’t bore you with the details, but I beg of you to take this tidbit of advice…
On this day, don’t just laugh at each other’s jokes and win that pie-eating contest. On this day, smile at each other. Hug. Take a few pictures. Tell your family you appreciate them. Don’t check your email. Get off Facebook and Twitter. Leave work at the office. Look into your family member’s eyes and tell them how much you love and appreciate them.
Because today may be the last day you will see all of them together in one room again.
My blood family has changed, but I now consider my close friends to be more family than anyone else (besides my amazing, supportive husband). My new family members are each around their own tables today, with their own blood relatives. They’re in Illinois, Texas, Florida, California and Minnesota.
I don’t need to be with them today because I know they’re my new family. They’re the ones who have supported me most through this rough time, the ones who have kicked my “but” when it needed kicking and let me cry on their virtual shoulders.
And you, my readers, have supported me as well. To you I owe an incredible thanks. Thank you for sticking with me, for doing business with me, and for being gracious when I couldn’t focus and made mistakes on your projects (you know who you are). Making things right is always easier when I know you still support me.
Some of you may still be in shock over my news, you may not have realized anything really bad happened to me this year because I didn’t completely disappear from the online world. For that I thank my amazing team: Cindy, Andrea, Courtney, and Luanna. Without you I would be starting over from square one today.
And if you’ve read this far, thank you. Thank you for sharing part of my journey. I would love to hear more about your journey, so please comment below. Now have a Happy Thanksgiving and eat some pie!
Photo courtesy Shutterstock, garagestock