Thanksgiving Redefined
I love to celebrate the holidays. I love cooking, hanging out with my boys, and spending time with family. As my kids grow and change I realize that having us all together every year isn’t realistic. And having a child in the military has hammered that point home. This year I prepared myself for the reality that Thanksgiving would not be a time when we could all be together in person.
A few days before the holiday my electrical system gave me an error code that I did not know how to handle. Thankfully Garrett from Drifter came to my rescue. The system needed a reset which I had never done. So, he FaceTimed me from the warehouse and walked me through the process using another van as an example. It was super simple, and I was so grateful for his help. I also learned that I was keeping Lucy plugged in for too long and no letting her batteries cycle enough. So, I learned two new things that day.
With the electrical system issue solved I ran to the grocery for a “girl dinner” version of Thanksgiving dinner. Without my kids and family, cooking a big meal didn’t feel right. I did grab myself some of my favorites including a sweet treat. I also decided to schedule a virtual Thanksgiving with my kids. Even if we couldn’t see each other in person, I decided we could use the power of the internet to connect us.
The day started with sunrise and coffee of the beach. I spent the rest of the day hiking at a nearby park, taking my dog on a long walk, and just relaxing. In case you are wondering, my dog is 16 1/2 so long hikes are not her jam these days which is why I don’t take her with me.
Despite 1 of my kids having to work, the 4 of us being in 2 different time zones, and my youngest just arriving at his new base, we were able to have our virtual Thanksgiving. And, it was actually a lot of fun. Now my version of fun as a mother of boys often looks like watching them insult each other, make jokes that I don’t get, and generally acting ridiculous, but that is my normal. And seeing a little bit of normal on that day was exactly what I needed.
Thankfully we are all going to be together for Christmas which makes this separation a little more bearable. I am leaving in 2 days to continue my journey south. Next stop, Edisto Beach, South Carolina.
Happy Travels,
Heather
