Happy Thanksgiving!
I'm visiting my parents home this week. I won't be here for Thanksgiving as we are heading to my in-laws for that day but we are here Monday through Wednesday. I always enjoy visiting my parents. It feels like a mini vacation from home and the hectic duties of everyday life. My mom keeps her house spotless. Everything is always organized, uncluttered and clean. Although I do a pretty good job of keeping my house picked up and clean, there are my hot spots of clutter here and there. Stress just seems to roll off from me when I'm here.
The home they live in now is not my childhood home. It's actually 3 1/2 hours from that house. It is closer to their childhood home though. About 7 years ago my parents decided to move back to upstate New York, their home town area. They grew up in Massena, NY but live in Canton, NY now. My childhood home is in Winooski, VT. It's actually a block away from my in-laws house. So even though I don't go inside that home each Thanksgiving, I do drive by it and remember the years we all would get together and have Thanksgiving there. I come from a family of 4 children. I have an older brother and two younger sisters. I don't get a chance to see them at Thanksgiving as they each spend their day with their in-laws also. It's been hard for us all to get together since my parents moved out of the area. They were the magnet that drew us all in. My two sisters live in the White River Junction, VT area which is two hours from my house and 5.5 hours from my parents. My brother lives only an hour away from me but he is probably the one I see the least. It's amazing how close we all still live to each other but don't spend very much time together. The last time we all got together was in May 2007 when my brother in law deployed to Iraq.
Alright, back to Thanksgiving. Here I sit in my parents living room. It's 8:24am and my family is still sleeping. My dad is sitting on the couch drinking some coffee. Mom is in the bathroom getting ready. My husband and kids always seem to sleep in late here. I often wonder if they feel relaxed here like I do. By the way they act, I'm thinking they do. Of course, they don't have any chores here and they can pretty much do as they please. My parents own two laptops and we usually bring ours with us. My two kids love having the opportunity to go online whenever they want.
The food here is always plentiful. We always get a homecooked meal and dessert always follows. We never have dessert at home so it's a treat to enjoy that after our meal. Of course that means I usually gain at least 5 pounds when I visit. Every pound is worth it though.
We're leaving to go back home today. I'm not sure when we will find our way back over here but hopefully soon. I'm sure within the next couple of months I'll need a break from everyday life and I know exactly where I can get that - right here at my parents.Labels: childhood, family, thanksgiving |
