Happy adult turkey day?

I knew this day would come, I knew it getting into this field of work. Happy holiday alone! Not that I am really alone, I will be at work and was invited to the news team orphan brunch. Yay for all of us being alone together! But even after all the prep work I had done to get myself ready to be alone on my first holiday, walking around the house in silence and working on my cute crying face, I just didn't know it would be this hard. 

So as I do on every other Thanksgiving I got up early, got breakfast, and plopped down for the parade (PJ's on and all). Did you ever notice how sad the Macy's Day Parade is? It's like the reason I am doing this is staring me in the face, and they are not with their families on Thanksgiving either! And that commercial with the solider getting off the plane? Obviously I feel his pain. The story of the football player who was taken in by his ex girlfriends family when his mom died and is now in the NFL? All the sudden he is my son and I'm crying over his accomplishments. By the way Today Show... when did you get so sentimental with your content?

Sitting at home alone I started to think, maybe this doesn't have to be so sad. Until I got on Facebook and saw my grandpa's comment on my page... who knew he could even use the thing??

But really, I don't need to be sad. See, there are a lot of things to be thankful for. Like having a job. I am thankful that I have a job in which I can make money on Thanksgiving to save up for flights home when it is not Thanksgiving. 

And I am thankful for the wonderful message I received this morning from a man who is thankful for me. I hope he knows how thankful I am for him too. Oh, and that I get to see said man in eight days!

Most of all, I am thankful that I can be thankful. That I can look back and know I had 20 years of wonderful Thanksgivings where I was surrounded by family. Where I woke up early to my mom making the salad with the water chestnuts that my uncle hates. I got to sit with my father in front of the TV and gawk at the wonderful floats and beautiful views of New York.

And I am thankful that my whole family gets to spend the day at my grandparents house where my grandpa cuts the huge turkey and my grandma sets a wonderful table. And my cousins get to fight over who is not sitting by who, and my nephew wont sit down at all only making things even more enjoyable. That I am not judged (too much) for sitting at that wonderful table hours before the food is done. 

I am thankful that my grandpa delays us eating by taking what seems like a million pictures where we all look like we are contemplating eat the camera itself. And that no one touches the fruit salad but it is there every single year because it wouldn't be a complete meal without it. And passing around the rolls, you know everyone is going to take two, except my cousin Jay... we will take 10. My sister and him will only eat three things at the table, and my uncle will fill his plate twice. 

Then after the meal my silly aunt tries to find the one and only store open in town to go shopping, not just because she loves shopping but, because she doesn't want to do dishes. And that tupperware full of leftovers we all snack on all day even though we declared none of us would ever eat again. Oh, and I am thankful for those pies my grandma makes in which we try to devour before someone else can get to them.  

See, I may be alone this Thanksgiving but there are so many more Thanksgivings I have gotten to be a part of that many people never do. And I couldn't be more thankful.