What is a family?
This isn't a topic new to anyone. For years, particularly since the divorce rate began to soar, there have been articles on what constitutes a family. Add the gay marriage issue and sometimes it seems even more confusing. Why my muse?
After years and years of being a "family", hubby and I are spending a quiet Thanksgiving at home by ourselves this year. Before you send us an invitation, this is by choice. We had a raucus family Thanksgiving yesterday. All our children, spouses and grands were there...and it was a grand day. It ran wild until late in the evening with a rousing game of hide and seek in the dark.
We celebrate early every year for several reasons. It gives our children a free pass to do whatever on Thanksgiving day with no worries about how to get where, when, with no guilt involved. . Timing is everything on the holidays and most of the time it seems to end up in tears or arguements of those trying to walk the fine line between families. My mom gets to see all of my family together and that is important to me.
The business we work in is at the peak during these next weeks until the end of the year, 12 to 16 hour days are the norm for us. Having the holiday feast over a few days early is a huge weight off our shoulders. Thanksgiving is getting to be a day we are thankful to sleep all day.
Holidays have changed over the last few years. This is our off year. My sisters are alternating years with families instead of trying to kill themselves running betwixt and between. My mother and brother are sharing dinner with the folks at church. My own children are camping, watching football with relatives and having the Thanksgiving of their choosing.
Even for our family unit it has changed. We no longer gather at Ya-Ya and Paw Paws house. We go where the fun is, to my sons house. He owns an inflatable business, so he gins up the rockwall, double slide and has a zip line that everybody loves to do. All of the grands, most 13 and under, love it. Running and jumping until they are so worn out they just drop. Our 16 year old grand daughter, eats and slips quietly away from the noise, noise, noise. What self respecting 16 year old wouldn't?
I walked the aisles of the local WalMart today feeling a little blue and wondering... why?
So I decided to celebrate the day again, just the two of us. I discovered the world of small pre-packaged foods. I purchased a small sweet potato dish, stuffing, mashed potato and two small pies. I tucked the turkey roast and teeny, tiny ham into the fridge and no longer felt blue. Everything was tiny, just enough for two. Just enough for a family of, you guessed it...two.
So, yes Catherine, two is a family. Hmmm...maybe we will start over and have another baby. Below is the look that will be on Scotts face when he reads that last sentence.
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