Thankful

Another Thanksgiving upon us....Ted, Elle, Gracie and I will travel back to MI tomorrow and stay through Sunday. I've made some plans to switch things up a bit this year including the Detroit turkey trot Thanksgiving morning with my Sister and running the mash mile with Aydan...and Saturday, Aydan and Elle will get Christmas pictures and we have lunch with my Mom's Sister and Brother, my Aunt Kim and the kids and Uncle Jimmy. I feel responsible for keeping the small family we have together and gathering like we used to with my Parents. I continue to be amazed how my Parents gathered their friends and family. Not everyone makes the effort but you have to keep doing your best. Thanksgiving, Christmas, the Holiday Season just doesn't feel the same. I am not as excited as I once was to head home. Frankly, not excited at all. Many cannot relate. They are thinking but you have Elle. I know if anyone else lost their parents and brother this way they too would struggle around the holidays. I don't expect anyone to understand. I really don't. But know I wish more than anything I had the Holiday spirit I once had. The Holiday spirit my Mother sure had......she decorated and baked and sent hundreds of Christmas cards, hosted parties and looked forward to Christmas day with her Dad, siblings, children, grandchild and friends. Dad was the entertainer....making sure the Food was ready and that everyone had a drink. I miss my Family...........and I will be thinking of my Mommy, Dad, Brother and Grandfather on Thanksgiving day wishing they were here with the rest of us....my Parents spent Thanksgiving with the Close Family a few times, my brother did even once......it was natural....and it would have always been like that. I am thankful we have the memories even though the pain remains it was taken away. Not everyone was as lucky and Ted and I were.

Looking forward to a few days off work, time to see my nephew and my Sister and some of our family and meet up with our friends..........we are still so thankful for so much....our kitchen is looking so nice now and we are only a few weeks away from it all being complete. Just in time for my Aunt and Uncle's visit in December and my Sister. I am looking ahead to fun times with my Family at our newly renovated home that hopefully will be more comfortable for entertaining.

Happy Thanksgiving to my Family in Heaven that I miss dearly and to all of my Family and Friends that are a part of our life each and every day. We are blessed to have you in our life.

Melissa