Thanksgiving

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With my husband in Iraq, my Thanksgiving will be spent without him, but I do have plans for that day... I will be doing some traveling on Thanksgiving....but only in my mind I am going to go back to my childhood and travel through time and remember my moms Turkey & Dumplins, Sage Dressing, Giblet Gravy, Corn & Butter Beans, Collards and homemade Buttermilk Biscuits And as I travel through each year's memory, I will marvel at the love and fellowship we had, and see in my mind's eyes as each relative walks through the door with whatever delicious dish thay have made to add to our very large (thanks to saw horses and boards) table. I will see each new family member and friend that joins us as we grow. I will give thanks that for most of my life, the holidays were never spent alone, not in my family, we always had a huge gathering of family & friends, and it was always at our house. I will look out my window and imagine I am back at 26 Huffman Drive in Hampton Virginia and see as all the neighbors, walk out the door with their offering to the table and I will have a little secret laugh because I know that all but 3 neighbors are my uncles, aunts & cousins...The Lovern/McCurry clan lived in almost all of the houses on that street. Then I will watch as we, the children, put on our coats and sweaters and run outside for a game of Cowboys & Indians, Mother May I, Red Light Green Light or Hopscotch, smelling the tantalizing aromas coming form everywhere and knowing soon our bellies will be so full they will have to roll us to bed in a wheelbarrow. My next stop will be on Lee Street where I was a pre-teen and had such a crush on Max Harding, a Viet Nam Vet who my mother made sure had a loving family, a place to sleep, plenty of food and who later became another one of my brothers as my crush faded and real love for him as part of my family took it's place. And I will have a little secret laugh, because I know that most of my family moved from Huffman Drive to Lee Street, yes, the Lovern/McCurry clan lived in many houses on that street too and we all gathered at our house for celebration. I will watch as we, the kids go out back for a game of Touch Football and as I climb to my favorite branch in the big weeping willow tree to read a favorite book. I will remember the many places we lived through the years and the laughter that was always found in almost all situations. I will stop on Jefferson Avenue and see the house we lived in, it was the church parsonage, but the new preacher had bought his own more modern house, so my family lived there and became the eyes for the church when nobody else was around. There, I will see the Thanksgiving carnival that we kids decided to have and laugh as I see my Uncle Larry push my Uncle Buddy's head into the water as he bobs for apples. I will watch as me and my very first boyfriend, Trent walk hand in hand across the church yard. He was 12, I was 13 and we were so in love. Traveling through the years, I will stop at my first Thanksgiving as a mother and tear up as I see my daddy holding my baby girl Joyce and smiling down at her. I will hear him tell her how beautiful she is and how, she is everything he had ever dreamed his little Reesie would have, followed by, I love you Joycie Pooh, you make me happy. Then I will fast forward to 1981 and see almost the exact scene, but this time as he looks into the eyes of Christine, laying in his arms and Joyce sitting on his knee. Then, with no effort, he will take his guitar and juggling it and my girls in his lap, will sing to them, Have I told You Lately That I Love You. One of my most precious memories. Yes, I will travel through many more years and arrive here, where, I will then put the video tape I made of all of our families 8 MM film and watch these scenes and smile, cry, laugh and love. At the end of my holiday travel, I will close my eyes and be in Bishop's arms, tell him I love him and he will say, I love you too, Happy Thanksgiving, don't cry Reesie girl, don't cry, I will be home, if only in my dreams.