Well Needed Break: Not a Moment Too Soon

Thanksgiving has to be one of the top three holidays in my opinion. It always has been. Growing up my family has always put a high priority on gathering and spending time with one another. A moment in the year when everyone can pause their hectic lives and take a minute to reflect and appreciate each other.

As time has ticked on, our family has aged and found ever increasing distance between one another. This makes it very challenging these days for everyone to get together to enjoy this time together. The kids have grown up and now have families of their own to support. Though distance is great and visits with my extended family have grown further in between each one, I still put a high importance on this day.

Now, it is not so much about me spending time with cousins, grandparents, aunts, and uncles. Though I love and miss them dearly, it is not about having my parents or sister’s family around one dinner table. My family gets very little time to sit and enjoy one another due to crazy schedules. It is a rare occasion that we can all sit and relax, enjoy a movie or a board game, or not have to worry about extra-curricular activities.

We are a small family that is on the go. Our daily routine consists of early mornings with not enough coffee or sleep. Waking 6-year-old twins up early, against all better judgment, so they can quietly get dressed without waking their 1-year-old light-sleeping sister. Momma and I also must walk on eggshells to avoid baby girl from the dreaded not enough sleep morning. Dropping the twins off at school while hoping they can make it through the day without a meltdown or disciplinary note. Then it’s off to my own classes where I try to avoid being too unprepared.

After returning home, it’s a few hours of splitting babysitting duties with momma, answering questions as if I were replacing Siri, and earning my stripes as an unpaid Ultimate Fighter referee. With school and family life being so demanding, the only thing stopping my hairline from receding further is the stubborn gray hairs starting to replace the brown ones.

Thank God for Thanksgiving Break, it gives us all a chance to unwind and prepare for the final leg of this semester. We all could use it by this time, and we definitely took advantage. We got some time to lay around together and bond. We got to eat a great meal that my beautiful lady prepared (it was delicious, babe). Though, by now I’m pretty sure that everyone has had their fill on turkey for a while. I definitely could use some time to recuperate before we have anymore.

I am looking forward to the end of the semester. Biology has been incredibly difficult. It has been more demanding than I originally expected. I don't know how anyone would ever want to be a biology major. Then to add math and two other classes, I have had my ass kicked thoroughly this semester. I have been able to persevere and keep my head above water. It looks like the final is the only thing left in most classes.

I also had a chance to soak in the incredible game on Thanksgiving. Watching the Cowboys beat the Redskins is one of my little joys in life. Glad I get to have that joy twice a year.

To those who are in school, good luck on your upcoming finals. To them and everyone else, Happy Holidays.