Thanksgiving Memory

As Thanksgiving approaches, I am taken back to a time when this holiday was sad for me. My ex used to take the kids every year to PA to visit his family. They got to see grandparents, uncles, aunt, cousins and had a great time.

We had worked out this deal where he would take them for the November trip, which also was around his birthday. In return, I would get the kids every Christmas eve. That way, they always knew that Santa knew where to go. The agreement was always worth it on Christmas morning when I got to see their faces when they came downstairs to see what Santa Claus brought them.

But on the last Thursday of November, I was forlorn. So I did things to occupy my time--like running the Atlanta Half-Marathon. (No need to do a whole marathon. If you can do half, you can do the whole one, right?) I would plan kayaking trips or spend the whole day with my parents, which was great also. But my mind always wandered to kids--what were they doing, what did they have to eat, did they miss me?

The best time of the day was when they would call. Their voices were the tonic I needed and I would feel better. They told me the stories of their trip and how much fun they were having. Once again, I realized that I had done the right thing.

Today, many years later, I am looking forward to the holiday with most of the kids and some of the grandkids. We are all close, but they are also close to that side of the family. The cousins are all close in age and now they are all having kids that will be close in age.

Sometimes it is hard to be a parent and to be unselfish. Believe me, I was not always a perfect, unselfish parent. But in this case, I did the right thing for my children. It is great when you can look back and be able to say that.