Thanksgiving Day Eve

Hub is knocking around the turkey...chopping ....dicing...stirring......making lots of racket with the pots and pans.

Here's my job tonight.....place champagne in fridge.

I think I got the better deal....lol

A Time of Change......

I've poured a glass of champagne....shut the study room door....and put African Kora music on...which is sweet and soothing.

10:00 Pm...the day before Thanksgiving.

For the last 10-12 years.....I would be..... at this time....curled up in a chair in my parent's family room in Chicago....reading The Trib or the Sun Times newspapers......while my hub looked over dinner ingredients for the next day.....and my children and parents watched TV together.....my mother sneaking the kids chocolates and treats and dollar bills......which I pretended not to see.

We planned to go to Chicago this year as usual....but our children are on the threshold between life with us and life on their own.....and earlier this month we realized we could not gather everyone for the trip.

There is something startling and sad and wonderful in such a life change.

My children....my children.....are all beginning to step into their own young adult lives.

My daughter will start working with autistic children and begin scouting for grad schools in psychology. She will cook her first solo Thanksgiving dinner with her boyfriend. (God help him....and keep his love strong for she inherited my lack of cooking skills.)

My son, who struggles with speech and language and a handful of other disabilities....drove 2 miles from our house on his own ...and interviewed for a new job ....which accepted him. On the way home....he stopped and bought a Subway sandwich, chips, soda and a cookie......and took 20.00 of his own money out of an ATM...... so to the school officials....who told us he was retarded and severely limited in his ability to function in society....I salute you.... your god damn ignorance and arrogance made us fight even harder.

And finally....Our baby, the red headed 6'2"..... wheeler/dealer and con man.......received an excellent ACT score (at least... I hope it's his score ...) and asked if I could help him with his college applications this weekend.........after.... of course..... he's finishes getting to a new level on Guitar Hero.

You prepare and work on their education, their socialization, their readiness to assume their own lives......and one day..... they are there......

but I didn't think it would be this year......

~~~~~