THANK YOU LIFE
Today the members of my family who were able to make it home to Bismarck, ND will don the traditional Thanksgiving flannel and hats and sit down to a meal of a Turkey the size of a fourth grader. We are thankful for our flannel, and our hats and turkey, but mostly the theme around these parts is that we are grateful for each other.
Last night when a highway sign indicated it was 22 miles to Bismarck a twinkling glow of the city appeared on the horizon and reflects the night’s clouds above, I was as giddy leprechauns doing gymnastics in a gold gym. This glow was not just any glow, but the glow shining with the sighing familiarity like only the place you grew up can have.
Last night with the help of my brother who picked me up in Fargo where I’d gotten a ride to from my amigo Charlie, I rolled late into Bismarck and crashed at my friend Tony’s house after the requisite jam session. With the exception of my brother Tyler and Dad, every in my family thinks I am in New York and am going to be missing my 7th consecutive Thanksgiving.
The reason I have missed so many Thanksgivings recently is because scientists are stupid and have still not invented teleportation. In a fight between Thanksgiving and Christmas, Christmas will always win, and so six years living abroad has meant having to opt out of thanksgiving in order to opt into Christmas.
This year I break the cycle. I am posting this on the way to their front door. In two minutes I will roll up and be all like “SURPRISE FAMILY! Happy Thanksgivukkah!” when I roll up.
Sitting next to my brother Tyler late last night in his car, listening to music, catching each other up on our lives, and planning an upcoming tour, I felt like I was exactly where I want to be. Since my last visit home in July, I’ve been running around from Bismarck-Minneapolsis-Guatemala-NYC-Saint Johns-Halafax-Iceland-France-Holland-Spain-NYC-MSP-Bismarck and during all that hoopla, my family was brewing up excitements of their own, adding new members left and right. Two of my brothers have made babies that are on the way, and two are getting married, and one is doing both.
I’m tempted to try to write more, to try to express the expansive appreciation I have today for my family, friends, and life in general right now, but I’m in a hurry to get on with the surprise. So I’ll just have to trust you know what I mean, that you feel it too in whatever corner of the world you are passing the holiday, whether your lighting a Menorah or eating your 4th slice of pumpkin pie, I wish you a Happy Thanksgivukkah.
