Hi Dad!
Here’s a picture of the turkey from last night! It was delicious and moist! I even made gravy. 🙂 Hope you, Mom and Aunt Selvia are having a great time!
I’ll cook the turkey next year!

Love you guys!
Tricia

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With Thanksgiving just around the corner, everyone is a little more aware of how lucky they are, and how much they’re thankful for everything and everyone…

I, however, started this November a little.. well, sad. You see, Thanksgiving is the start of a slew of incredibly happy holidays. Holidays full of family and friends and laughter and love. So why so sad?

As the holiday season gets closer, I am constantly thinking that there is someone incredibly important to me that will be missing this year… my Dad.

Last year my Mom and Dad went on a Thanksgiving week cruise with my Dad’s brother and sisters. I took the opportunity to cook a practice Thanksgiving feast for my husband, a good friend of ours, and myself… first time ever. I sent Dad the pictures of the turkey I miraculously pulled off, as well as all the fixins. He showed it to all of his family and proclaimed that it was probably better tasting than the dinner he had Thanksgiving on the cruise ship. He wanted me freeze and save him some turkey slices but I didn’t. I promised him I’d cook Thanksgiving dinner for him the following year.

Now that year is here, but he no longer is. A huge part of me wants to forgo Thanksgiving and the rest of the holidays. I want to hide under my covers for the entire season and not partake in any the festivities.

But I love all that stuff and I’m thankful for all of it. I love the laughing, the cooking, the baking, the comrade-re, the merrymaking, the singing of carols in the key of awful. I love having company come over to chat and drink hot cocoa or bottles of wine.. yes, bottles. I love cooking large dinners and having everyone gather together at the table. I love how I feel with my friends and family around and seeing everyone’s happy faces. I get that from him.. he loved all that stuff too..

I’m not sure how my mental state is going to be come Thanksgiving Day or Christmas Eve, or Christmas or any of the days in-between. I might be so overwhelmed with holiday happiness or that big aching hole in my heart might hurt more. I’m not sure what the memories of previous holidays are going to to do me… but I know one thing — I’m still cooking him that Thanksgiving dinner.