Sunday, November 29, 2009

A TIME OF THANKSGIVING


I hope everyone had a safe and joyous holiday. I skipped my usual holiday greeting this week. There was much I was busting to write but I had to put it on hold so that I wouldn’t give any secrets away. I’d been holding on to a boatload of secrets for the past few weeks.

This entire weekend has been about family. His, mine, and ours. Thanksgiving Day my special friend and I spent the entire day together. The time was spent in self reflection, us reflection and just the sheer enjoyment of enjoying time together. We then spent the evening dining with my family in my mother’s home. Family then kicked in big time.

Secrets spilled out on Friday evening when we celebrated my mother’s 70th birthday with a surprise birthday party. Family and friends came from all over to honor a woman who has been an exceptional part of this family. Her oldest sister who is well in her 80’s traveled from South Carolina. Her youngest sibling came from Washington for the celebration.

Women who grew up in my family home, who I’ve shared some 30-plus years of friendship came from Connecticut to wish their “other” mother a happy, happy. The theme was Motown and you know it had to be a good time when cousins and kin adorned themselves with feather boas and lip-synched to the Supremes. (I caught a major cramp trying to keep up with my sister’s choreography and the whole thing was just too, too funny)!

Early Saturday morning my guy and I traveled to Richmond, Virginia to spend time with his family. Kin had traveled from the North and the South, meeting in the middle and completely taking over a local hotel. Laughter and tears flowed with ease and family reunited, reconnected, and reflected on the many blessings they’d been afforded. Bouncing from hotel room to hotel room took on new meaning as family partied from floor to floor sharing their lives and history with one another.

Each of my holiday celebrations was a time of thanksgiving. I witnessed moments of healing and forgiveness, of generosity and understanding and an abundance of love that could not be denied. I was reminded of those things that matter most: family and the abundance of their love. I was blessed to be in the presence of my old family and my new family who opened their arms and their hearts. I have much to be thankful for.

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