"Differential Diagnosis"

Thanksgiving, it’s the time of year where American families come together to celebrate everything they are “thankful” for. ? The cook of the family wakes up extra early to begin? preparations, the men are off from work and enjoy their holiday by watching football and drinking a beer or two, the kids sleep in late and are eventually awakened by the delicious smell of food. The climax of this holiday begins at the dinner table.

Friends, immediately family, and distant relatives all sit at the massive table and eagerly await the presentation of the main course. A giant turkey is brought forth, while the onlookers applaud and loudly comment to themselves. The head of the table begins the gluttonous feast by sharing a few words and carving the turkey.? Laughter, smiles, the clanking of dinnerware, and idle conversations fill the house for the next few hours.

As the feast slowly winds down, people begin slowly disappearing from the table. The kids usually leave first to go outside and play, followed by the teenagers shortly there after. Then one after another the grown-ups part ways, some go back to watch the game, others to the kitchen to help cleanup, while a few may leave entirely.

I spent this Thanksgiving with my mother, father, sister and nephew, but I couldn’t help but to feel that this year Thanksgiving was somewhat incomplete for me.

For years my family and I would celebrate Thanksgiving with an elderly couple who lived across the street. They had few visitors throughout the year, but somehow my mother had befriended the little old lady and kept her company once in a while. ? I don’t even remember when this tradition started, but every Thanksgiving dinner for as long as I can remember was held at their house.

Never would I see this old lady happier than when assisting my mother in their kitchen baking, cooking, and roasting! My father would spend time with the old lady’s husband discussing politics, the education system, and who knows what else as they drank the occasional beer or two.? Rogelio and Lupe were their names, and I’ll never forget them.

As time progressed, they became an? integral part of most of our holiday festivities and they became more like adoptive grandparents to my sister and I. Lupe always had a birthday card with a crisp twenty waiting for us once a year. Rogelio would occasionally enlist me to help him with repairs around the house.

Unfortunately, in what seemed like an instant, they both left this earth. Rogelio had a heart attack and passed away. Lupe chose to move into an assisted living facility and passed away a year or so later. The family that never came to visit them while they lived, immediately swooped into town like buzzards circling a carcass. I watched their once happy home get pillaged by undeserving “family.”

I hadn’t thought about them in years, but for some reason this year I really missed having Thanksgiving at their house. ? So this year I’m thankful for the many years they welcomed us into their home, and I’m thankful for good friends. ? Good friends seem to be the spice of life and the very thing that make life exciting. ? My friends, whether “in real life” or in the blogging/virtual world, I appreciate every single one of them and I hope they know that.

Happy Thanksgiving!

1. ScoMan says:

   November 29, 2009 at 2:26 pm

   I read this and hope there’s a family like yours living near my grandmother.

   We see her for the holidays and a few times throughout the year of course, but since her husband passed away last year she’s been on her own, over two hours from family. We’ve asked her to move but she always says “This is my home”, and that’s that.

   But if I knew there were people like you there, I’d worry less.

   Happy Thanksgiving.

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2. TOPolk says:

   November 30, 2009 at 12:27 am

   So true. Good friends and good people make the world go around. In the grand scheme of things, everything else isn’t really necessary.

   I’m a lil late w/ the well wishes, but I hope you had a good Thanksgiving.

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