a good thanksgiving

chinh and i went to virgina to celebrate thanksgiving with my little sister's family and our parents. it was a week full of having good drinks, visiting historic sites, eating good food and enjoying the company of family. my sister (zoe) and her husband (tim) have a wonderful house, decorated with a mix of american history flair (they are both history majors), family pictures and comfortable furniture done in such a way that i immediately felt at home as soon as i entered (so much so that i draped myself across their couch and started watching tv). that and they have the best dog in the world (duke) who i hope i get to play with again soon. in short, a wonderful place for a thanksgiving week.

and, coming back to the snow, ice and cold of michigan, i naturally got a bit nostalgic about the previous week. even on the plane ride home, chinh and i teared up a little knowing how special the week was. how fleeting these moments are and how blessed we are that we have a family that not only gets along with each other, but truly loves one another. the de-emphasis of the family unit by our parent's generations (depending on the age of one's parents) has made this kind of get together odd and awkward for many of my friends, even more so by taking a long vacation to visit family (both natural and extended). how many jokes are made about in-laws? how many people dread time with the family? many times the week before our vacation, most people seemed surprised at my excitement at spending this time with our family, their thinking that the time would be much better spent with friends or with the immediate family.

when those friends are gone, who will be there for you?

in other news, its beginning to feel a lot like Christmas. everywhere you go, even. this truly is my favorite time of year. not only because i love the snow, but i really enjoy the upbeat feeling that i get. the Christmas carols, the hot chocolate, the time with family, it truly is the greatest season of all.

may you have a wonderful Christmas.


peace,
ko