I was just thinking…

It’s the week of Thanksgiving, the gateway to the holiday season, and I am conflicted. On one hand, I love this time of year and enjoy the traditions and gatherings that it brings. But on the other, starting last year, this time also brings profound sadness. Losing my mom in August 2023 changed a lot of things for me. I still enjoy the holiday celebrations, but there is something different at each family gathering…a painful empty chair. My mom loved the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons, especially Christmas since she loved giving gifts. And I am trying to pick up that matriarchal mantle. But she will always be missed, and she will always be missing from the family table. We keep moving forward though. We press on as she would want. But there are tears, and I suppose there will be from now on.