Thankful, I am

I flew home on Tuesday, not sure of what to expect this Thanksgiving holiday. This had always been my Bubby Cyrille’s holiday, and when she passed away three years ago, I felt much of this particular holiday’s cheer would have passed with her. Fortunately — and not abnormally — I was wrong.

With my dad having had major surgery, and my Zaydie Sam not as strong as he used to be, this Thanksgiving will prove a challenge, along with plenty to be grateful and thankful for.

• I’m thankful for my amazing family — my mother, for always supporting me; my father, for sharing his unsolicited pride in my success; my brother, for indulging my neurosis and for listening to me randomly rattle off recipes I want to prepare; my sister Anne for encouraging me on my Weight Watchers journey; my sister Amanda (and brother-in-law Dave), for being there for professional advice, and overall sisterly support. We have all come so far, but without each other, we’d be empty and lost.
• I’m thankful for my wonderful job and incredible colleagues — I made a move this year to our parent company, and in so doing, had to adjust to a new team and new overall professional dynamic. I’ll always miss my old team (although now we’re all housed under one roof!), but my new one has proved to be delightful. I’m thankful for the way we all work so well together, through brainstorms and general effective leadership.
• I’m thankful for my incredible friends — without the support of my friends…without their phone calls, texts, IMs, and Facetime requests…I’d be a much less interesting person. Thank you for pushing me to be more adventurous, to do things I would never normally do, and to embrace life as it comes my way.

Tonight, we’ll dine at my Auntie Phyllis’ — because that’s tradition, and we like that in my tribe — we’ll see family and friends (some old, some new). Most sentimental of all is that with my Bubby gone, my mother will recite the poem that her grandfather — Zaydie Fred — wrote for my Bubby when she was in the fifth grade.