THANKFUL FOR THE DISTANCE

THANKFUL FOR THE DISTANCE

Thanksgiving is a time for food, family, fun, do or how to feel. So I started to journal. I wrote down and of course, more food. It’s a time to everything I was feeling and tried to figure out ways to reflect on what you’re thankful for and all make myself feel better. That’s when I realized that the of the good things to come out of the year. answer was in front of me all along.

One of the most defining aspects of Thanksgiving is the time you spend with your fam- I should just call them. I know, crazy right, why ily and other loved ones but not everyone didn’t I think of something so simple before? I suppose gets the opportunity to do so, especially it was difficult for me to think clearly when I was feel this year. ing such a whirlwind of emotions. However, once I got I am one of those people who doesn’t get the to come. I began to call each member of my family. opportunity to see my family for Thanksgiving. I am to me talking my ear off about how excited she is to importantly, without my family. I didn’t know what to all of my feelings out on paper, easy solutions started an out-of-state student from Washington State and I At first, it was just once every few weeks but am currently unemployed and can’t afford to make a now, it’s more like twice a week. We would spend trip home this year. hours on the calls just catching up and it helped me to feel like I was right there with them. I began to At first, this didn’t really bother me. I never text my family each time I thought of them just to let took into consideration my feelings regarding how them know they’re on my mind. I would bring up past important family time is during the holidays. Some- moments where they’ve really helped me. I reminded times when things become too normal, they can begin myself and them of how thankful I am for my family. to lose their meaning. However, as it gets closer and Now, I’ll be honest I still feel pretty disappointed about closer to Thanksgiving I’m starting to feel sadder and not being able to go home; but increasing the amount sadder about not going home this year. of contact I have with them helps me feel so much This year mom won’t be yelling at me to set the we realized there are still ways to spend time with one table, dad won’t be screaming at the TV while watch- another whether it be through a phone call or maybe ing the football game, and my sister won’t be next we play a game over Zoom. better. And, while we may be apart for Thanksgiving eat. This year we won’t all be sitting around the table There are ways to still feel connected with each together telling each other why we’re thankful for one other even when hundreds of thousands of miles away. another, we won’t be scarfing down our food so we can There are also ways to show your gratitude for somehurry and get seconds. The hardest thing to swallow is one from afar, sending a quick text, writing a letter, that we won’t be together. saying thank you for both the big and the small things, and most importantly, not hesitating to tell them how Once the reality of this started to sink in I felt much they mean to you. Be thankful... even if it’s from a deep sense of loneliness. I had never really spent Thanksgiving without my mom’s cooking and more a distance. by Deja Brumfield 33