My daughter knows me way to well. She knew, after talking with me on Thursday, trying to troubleshoot the problem with the furnace, that I would sit and stew and cry and stew some more and feel rotten about life and myself. So, she contacted Niles and asked if there was one more place at their Thanksgiving table. Of course there was and I received the invitation within 30 minutes of chatting with Carole.
I almost didn't accept it. I felt rotten. I felt beaten down. Why inflict myself on others? But a little person inside nudged my conscience enough that I knew I NEEDED to be around people. In hanging up the phone after saying, "Yes," I remembered the space heater in my office at work. That would keep one room warm enough for the girls that I wouldn't worry about them.
It was just what I needed. I needed to be around laughter and stories and people that I knew and who know me. There is always an abundance of food, always. And there are pecan and pumpkin pies to be taste tested. And there are snippets of conversations from the "kids" (only, at 23+, they aren't really kids anymore) in the kitchen that provoked gales of laughter because we certainly didn't know to what THAT comment referred.
And there was beer; Niles' special pumpkin brew. It was really, really good.
For 7 hours, the day was okay. When I returned home, it wasn't as cold in the house as I expected.
I am thankful for a house, even if it was cold. I am thankful for two cats who can adapt. I am thankful for friends who don't even think twice about seating me at their table. I am thankful for a daughter who knows me.
It's easy to get down. It's easy to feel bad about the hand you've been dealt even if you know others have it far worse than you. Perspective is a fickle thing. I'm very grateful to Niles and his family for helping me regain mine.
Beverage: Cranberry Blueberry Juice
Deb
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