Thanksgiving

As many people do, I went home for Thanksgiving. Being a large family, we are lucky enough to live within driving distance of each other so it is never a huge deal to get together. The only person who had to fly home was my brother who flew in from UCLA. It was when I went to pick him up from the airport that I discovered thanksgiving.

It was an amazing blessing disguised as a burden. It was holiday traffic. For days I had dreaded going to the Oakland Airport because of the traffic but as I was sitting in it I realized that there was this immense amount of traffic because all of these people wanted to be with their families for thanksgiving. What a fabulous discovery. Airports are disgustingly packed because everyone wants to go home.

And when they are home Thanksgiving day is like no other. Thanksgiving is truly all about loved ones. Whether family or friends, thanksgiving dinner brings together the important people in ones life. Unlike other Holidays, this holiday is completely yours. It doesn’t belong to shopping, decorations or presents. There are no costumes or eggs or bunnies, Thanksgiving is you-your family and memories. It is of course a day to give thanks, and many might say that Americans shouldn’t need a holiday to give thanks, that they should do it everyday. But I think that anyone willing to travel during a holiday to get home is very thankful for their family. In a country and culture often critized for not being family oriented I must say that Thanksgiving is a time to rival that theory. These people are not coming to town to bring or receive presents, and yes the food is fantastic, but they would come for Pizza.

So next time holiday traffic is a burden to you, simply remember that it is family that is causing them to be in that vehicle, so be happy that all around you are people who just can’t wait to go home.