An alarmingly high number of my New York City friends did not go home for Thanksgiving this year. In fact, most of them did not. Instead, they gathered like Lost Boys (and Girls) at each other's apartments and made their own turkeys and stuffing and such. Men and women of all ages, these were. Some were co-workers in their 30s. It didn't matter. They were staying in the city.
This actually made me feel depressed. Thanksgiving without your family? I can't think of anything sadder. I told a friend last night I'd rather eat by myself and drink a glass of my own tears than try to replicate a fake Thanksgiving with friends.
I guess I have to add that I am extremely lucky. My family is very close to me - just a 45-minute train ride from New York City to be specific.
Anyway, I'm now off for the second half of my family Thanksgiving tradition - a trip to New Jersey to visit my mom's college best friend's family. Hopefully the economy is so terrible that no one will be at Menlo Park Mall when we go shopping there Black Friday Style.
Or maybe I'll just take advantage of the insane Black Friday Deals at Amazon.com
Some of us don't have the luxury of seeing our family whenever we want. Some of us have to purchase a plane ticket that costs an arm and a leg to see our family on the other side of the country. Thanksgiving is a holiday about being thankful for what you have... one can be thankful for the friends that they have in their life. Some might even call these friends an adopted family. Your family is who you make it. What even is a family today, what with single parents, gay adoption, or any other "nontraditional" family? Last night it was said, it sucks that some of us can't get home to see our real families, but we were glad that we had an adopted NYC family that we can still be thankful for.
ReplyDelete- A Thankful Lost Boy