Today is Thanksgiving Day in the United States and although I am currently abroad, that is not reason enough to keep me from celebrating it. My community mate and I are super excited. We understand that the founding of our country was not particularly a pleasant one, but this is the day of the year where we give thanks for everything. Everything that we have been blessed with and truly feel gratitude and gracious. 2010 was the first and last Thanksgiving I spent with my family.
During my time in college I spent Thanksgiving either on campus or with friends in neighboring states. They were the best memories. My first Thanksgiving I remember being invited to spend Thanksgiving with several different friends and I felt so loved. Unfortunately, I had found out a friend was going to be staying on campus alone for the long weekend. Not wanting to be a bad friend and not wanting to impose on other people I kindly turn down the invites and opted to stay on campus with my friend. It was one of the best decisions I ever made. We went to the local grocery store, picked up some Hungry Man Turkey Dinners, an apple cobbler, some sparkling cider, and cheese and crackers. We set up a makeshift table in the middle of her dorm-room and sat on pillows. We ate dinner and watched Pirates of the Caribbean. We had no way of heating up the cobbler and fortunately for us, her RA was on campus and offered his oven to us. One of the greatest memories ever and I am happy to say we are still friends to this very day.
My last Thanksgiving home was bittersweet. My cousin's husband had passed in October of 2010 and little did I know, but it would be the last Thanksgiving spent with my grandmother and my aunt. No one was a celebratory mood. My grandmother, a devout Catholic and whom seldom swore and never drank and was on a strict diet due to her declining health had succumbed to disgusting gloriousness known as "Thanksgiving." She picked up a fried turkey leg with her hand and devoured it and noticed there was a wine bottle on the table. As she brought the bottle closer to her, she realized it was empty, but that did not stop her from trying to suck the remaining drops of wine. We looked at her in silence, shock, and awe. For that moment in time, we forgot our sorrow and worry.
Soon enough I will be in the States and celebrating Christmas (and hopefully with snow), but what I am most grateful for this year (as I make my way back from my tangent) are my community members, students, family and friends. I am grateful for community because although living in community has been a challenge for me, I have been blessed with a community who has supported me in both the best and worst of times. They challenged me and brought out the best in me. They have taught me so much and they have accepted me for who I am. They look pass my flaws and appreciate what I bring to our home. I am grateful for my students who I have had the pleasure to accompany for the past two years and who will be graduating tomorrow. Whenever I think of them, I smile. Whenever I have been unhappy at work or with life, seeing my students and interacting with them made me forget about the nonsense. Like my community mates, they taught me so much and continue to surprise and amaze me. Finally, I am grateful for my family and friends. They have been my rock through the good, bad, and ugly. They have heard me rant, scream, seen me angry, and allow me to vent. They have laughed and cried with me and picked me up and encouraged me everytime I felt like throwing in the towel. I don't know where I would be without them.
I look forward to spending Thanksgiving tonight with my community mates, some of them of them who have become good friends. I am thankful for everything I have in my life and thankful for the people in it. I am thankful for my time here in Chile and for this experience. Happy Thanksgiving!
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