It's the day after Thanksgiving. Hopefully you and yours had a nice day. If you hosted then you know how much work it is. If you cooked and brought then you know the challenges of cooking in one place and eating in another. If you had to drive a bit then you know that can be a pain during Thanksgiving.
We had all six children, well all adults now, in one place for one meal. That included Tara who flew in from Texas with her fiancé Simon to basically eat a meal as they flew back home this morning. Props out to her for making it 100% attendance from the kids.
I was able to re-create a photo that I took of the kids that was originally taken in 2016. My parents house is currently on the market and will probably the last year we'll sit and eat in that house.
So I asked them to sit in the same seats in 2024 as they did eight years earlier. Yep, ones missing, that would be Ryan, and I felt his absence when I looked through the phone to take the picture. It's the silly seasons and days, like holidays and birthdays, when that hole seems to open up a bit and the pain pulses a little harder. But anyway, cool pic of our kids, who we are proud of and love to spend time with, and when they're all there it can male any day that much more special.
It's hard to get everybody together for every holiday. People are pulled in different directions as they do the "rotation" which is making sure everyone gets a shot at having people present in and on and off kind of way. This year my brother was at the in-laws, my sister up in the ADK's going through a big house sell and buy, and my Mom down in Florida with her "peeps" just recently coming off a two week cruise to Panama, at age 78.
It will be interesting, and fun, to see where we wind up for the holidays in the coming years. The oldest one have crested or are approaching 30 and one is tying the know next year. So, I'm sure at some point we'll be doing the traveling and supporting as the roles and traditions of the family get reassigned, expanded, and yes maybe even better. And then there's always the possibilities of grandchildren. Wow, that'll be a hoot.