Tomorrow marks another Thanksgiving without several people I love. I chose Ruth and my friends, Jim and Mitch, to be a part of my life. Each one changed me bit by bit.
I was born into my parents and cousin, Gene. It was love based upon circumstance. I didn’t have a say in the matter, but I would have chosen them too if I had the choice.
I loved them all and lost them too soon. They didn’t ask me to love them, but I did just the same. That’s the thing about love. It just happens. Sometimes it grows over time, and sometimes, like with the birth of a child, it’s spontaneous.
I’ve liked many people in my life—neighbors, coworkers, classmates. Liking is built on shared jokes, mutual interests, or convenience. You like someone because they fit neatly into your world at that moment, but love doesn’t always fit neatly. Love asks you to stretch, to grow, to sometimes sacrifice.
Liking someone is about how they make you feel in the moment. Loving someone is about how you choose to feel about them even when the moment isn’t easy. Liking is admiration. Love is commitment. Liking fades when circumstances change, but love adapts, bends, and sometimes breaks. Sometimes the fracture can be rebuilt and become stronger.
When I look back, I’m grateful for the people I’ve liked. They’ve added joy and laughter. But I treasure the people I’ve loved, because they’ve helped me grow. Love has taught me patience, resilience, and the beauty of sticking through the tough times. In the end, liking makes life pleasant. Loving makes it meaningful.
I’ll be at David’s home for Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow. We’ll probably hold hands and exchange some words before we eat. There’s been a ton of change for all of us over the past twelve months. In the end, we never know how or when something is coming our way. We get what we get and it’s up to each of us to make each moment count.
One thing’s for sure. I love all the hand holders and I’m thankful for them being a part of my life.
Happy Turkey Day to you, my neighbor. 🦃.
The Holidays aways make me both happy and sad. Sad because now that we are much older, there are so many people we loved that are no longer with us. But, there are still people that we love that are still around, and we always talk about how much fun and exciting it was
to be able to see each other and celebrate those special times. Our family Christmas reunions were always a time of great joy.
Just being together, all gathered around the basement ping pong table, for dinner, stories, and much teasing and joking, made for a special, joyous Holiday for everyone, and a lifetime of happy memories.