When I decided to create a blog, my focus was of course on the business aspect of what I do. I was very anti-personal blog at least when deciding on the focus of my own blog. However, sometimes I find that the personal stories are much more interesting and have much more meaning. So I’m going to share one of these personal stories with you…if that’s okay?
This past weekend it was Thanksgiving here in Canada. A time for families to get together, some of us look forward to this time, while others …not so much! I kind of fall in between the two. Don’t get me wrong, I love my family and enjoy spending time with them; however the drama that surrounds putting on a turkey dinner in my household is well, almost hilarious at times.
I’m sure you can all relate. My mother who is all of 4’6 prepares every Thanksgiving dinner. You would think that she is preparing a meal for 30 people, in a frenzy the pots are clattering, bread is being torn apart for stuffing, veggies being cut, it’s quite an event…sometimes I swear I see flames coming from the bottom of her slippers. Then the old familiar questions “Do you think we have enough?”, “Should I make more?”, “Yes, I should probably make more!”
“No Mom, you have plenty there is only 11 of us, you have enough for 40 people here.” I have said this every Thanksgiving for as long as I can remember. She agrees with me, and then when I turn around, she sneaks some more potatoes in the pot and looks back to see if I saw here. -I see her just like every other year.
My father, your typical Dad, he doesn’t stray too far from the TV because he’s flicking between two football games. According to him that’s pretty hard work. Every now and then he takes a break to yell out “Is dinner ready yet?” Really, you gotta love the guy -same thing every year.
Mid afternoon my sister and her family show up and then all the chaos begins….let me re-phrase that all the “fun” begins. My husband and her husband talk “shop”, my sister and I talk about the newest events in our lives, my daughter Hannah giggling with delight because she finally has another girl (my niece) to play with, and of course my son and two nephews who are all close in age get out the Guitar Hero and you would think there was a rock concert taking place in the living room—Pfeeww I’m exhausted just replaying it all here.
Soon the moment we’ve all been waiting for has arrived, the turkey is lovingly placed on the table, we take our places at the table and dig in…literally, it’s like we haven’t eaten for a month. Food flying around, bowls being tipped over, my father complaining about the little bit of potatoes my mother put on his plate (he has diabetes, so we have to watch what he eats), kids arguing because they don’t want to eat the little mini cabbages (brussel sprouts) “they’re just gross” and we settle in for our Thanksgiving dinner.
It’s at this moment through the chaos and the banter back and forth that I realize how thankful I am. I truly wouldn’t have it any other way. Sure, my family may be a little nutty, but that’s okay, because they are my nutty family and I wouldn’t trade them for the world.
It’s this family who has made me who I am today, and for that I am truly grateful. Happy Thanksgiving!
