Thanksgiving 2021

 

Me, this morning Thanksgiving Day 2021

This Thanksgiving will be the first one in years that I am spending at home. In the past I've always volunteered to work Thanksgiving to give me co-workers who have families, to have a day off and be with their families. This year my Thanksgiving will be here at home with Bill. 

Bill and I stopped years ago (perhaps thirty or so) celebrating Thanksgiving at home. It's just the two of us and Bill doesn't like turkey. I actually do like turkey. As a matter of fact, every Thanksgiving I wish someone would take pity on me and deliver me a complete Thanksgiving turkey dinner. One year my co-worker (whose name I have forgotten, can you believe it?) brought me in a plate of Thanksgiving goodies from her family table. That was so kind of her and I was touched.

My Mother used to make fabulous Thanksgiving diners with gravy. celery stuffing (she made the best stuffing) and southern biscuits. For years and years that was my Thanksgiving dinner. As a matter of fact it was a Thanksgiving dinner when my parents first met Bill. The year was 1965 and I was estranged from them after my Mother found out I was gay. No communication at all for almost a year after the big blow up (no pun intended). Then out of the blue I received a letter from her inviting me to their Thanksgiving dinner. I responded by telling her that I would come but only if Bill came with me. She hesitated (of course) but eventually acquiesced and be both arrived for that family Thanksgiving dinner lo these many years ago. And wouldn't  you know it, they liked Bill! Eventually they both became very good friends with Bill. 

Which brings me to something that happened last night. My younger brother Isaac, with whom I've been estranged from since our last conversation several months ago when he tried to lay on me some of his Fox News brainwashed Trump shit and I hung up on him, called and left a message on my voice mail that "we have our political differences but we're still brothers and blood is thicker than water and that he loves me."  A load of cliches there but I appreciated him reaching out to me. I called him later and we reconciled. He brought me up to date on our other brother who has stage four lymphoma (he's in remission now after a brutal experimental treatment). Isaac is having his health problems too as I am (I have to get another blood test this week, my third in a month) because my white blood cell count continues to be register low (TBC). 

So what does all this meandering verbiage mean? It means that I am thankful for so much.

I am thankful Bill is home here with me and that I can give him the best care in the world. 

I am thankful that I have wonderful friends like Pat, Glenn, Larry, and Don. 

I am thankful that I have a wonderful neighbor like Bob, who in spite of being a Trumper (something which I will never understand, how otherwise reasonable people continue to stay brainwashed and support this criminal con man who attempted to overthrow a free and fair election just so he could stay in power and drag out country down but I digress). 

I am thankful that I live in a beautiful, comfortable home that is paid for.

I am thankful that neither Bill or I are in pain as we deal with our increasing old age health challenges. 

I am thankful that I live in a country that is a democracy (for now anyway, lest the Republicans controlled by Trump get back in power then we lose our democracy). 

And last but not least, I am thankful I am alive and to be been so fortunate to reach this grand age of eighty years. 

I've had a wonderful life and for that I am thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!