This Past Thanksgiving

This Thanksgiving initially sucked. 

I was all ready to go. My sister decided to drive she and I to our moms this past Thursday. She said she would come by to pick me up at 9am. 

9 am came around. 
I was all packed and ready to go.
I had my clothes all packed, that DVD mom wanted to borrow firmly placed in my sack of traveling supplies...

Then I remember I left the Christmas list mom had requested me to make in my car.
No problem, I thought. I'll just grab the keys to the car and leave everything inside my apartment since I'll be right back anyway...

And that's when I accidentally locked myself out. 
The landlord was nowhere in site. Why would she be -it's Thanksgiving. 
My spare key was in my purse -which was also inside the apartment-so no hope there. 

So I gave up hope and accepted the fact that I was heading to mom's with nothing but my cell phone, my car keys, my Christmas list, and the clothes on my back. 

Around 10am my sister finally came -after about an hour of waiting on the steps outside my door praying to God to unlock it by some miracle which never occurred.

I was mopey, slightly pissed-off, and tired. Not a good state to be in. Luckily I knew superflous amounts of mood were in my future so I didn't stay upset long. 

Made it to mom's house and was immediately greeted by her, my step-dad, and out dog. 
We ate lunch there and then hopped in the car to go to town.
My sister decided to drive me into town and buy me a toothbrush from Rite Aid.
She also gave me the spare shirt she had brought. Between that and the spare underwear I found in my old room, my ensemble for the next day slowly began to come together.

Then our mom decided to tell us that the main reason our aunt Deb was being flown down from Oregon for Turkeyday -after being gone for about 5 years -was because our grandpa had just been diagnosed with cancer and wanted the family together for this holiday. 

On that note, our relatives started showing up. First our Aunt Deb -who had changed only in appearance and only slightly in presence. 

She seemed kind of down -which was understandable given the fact she had recently had surgery and worked a back-breaking night job moving logs and firewood in the dead of winter. Then my grandpa and grandma showed up. Then  my other grandma. Then food. My mom's Thanksgiving dinner never changes and it's always the greatest meal I have out of the year.

After we ate we sat around checking in. I hear and respond to 3 main things whenever I'm at mom's surrounded by relatives:

1. How is work going?
2. Why don't you eat more?
3. Do you have a boyfriend

Those are the only things anyone ever wants to know about. Isn't kind of rude for people to comment on your weight? Apparently only if your fat. Then you get let off the hook. When you're thin and tall -everyone shares their opinions unapologetically. 

The amusing thing I noticed between my dad's family and my mom's is whenever relatives get together they ALWAYS talk about other people they know who aren't there. It bugs me because it kind of feels like gossip, but on the other hand I've come to realize it's also how they keep in touch and find out about the lives of other people they've met. It's like updating an archive of status updates on friends you haven't seen in years.

"How's Henry doing? Have you sen him in a while?"
"Yes I saw Henry last week. He has a new job as a florist and is doing well."
"Is he still married to Elizabeth?"
"No they're divorced now."
"Oh thank God, I hated her."

It's kind of heart-warming on some end because they ask out of concern/caring, but then it's also kind of  disheartening because they're not really any closer to that person in the end and can only give brief opinions of what they think of that person's recent update in life. 

On Friday my sister and I headed back to San Jose and I knew I'd get my apartment open and everything would turn out alright. I did wonder why God had made it so I went without my stuff this past Thursday. Part of me thinks, Jessica, you idiot. You locked yourself out, not God. But the other side of me thinks,  

Maybe He was trying to show me how well I can do without my stuff. Without all the clothes and supplies and movies and music and debit card and check book and purse... I managed pretty well without it all. Maybe this was His way of showing me how much I have to be grateful for -especially since at the end of the day I can unlock the door and go back to all of those things when there are others who have to go without every single day.