Thanksgiving preparation has officially started, and I wasn’t sure what to expect as I set out to make the cranberry sauce. I’d bought the cranberries last week, and there they sat in the fruit drawer of my fridge. I’d stare at them each time I opened the door, and think “maybe tomorrow the mood will strike to make it”.
Well, Thanksgiving is only three days away, and this year I’m blinking in disbelief at how fast this fall has gone by. I go to bed each night thinking of how I found him when I heard he had collapsed. I replay this scene over in my mind before I go to sleep to remind myself that this is really my life, my reality.
I’ve written about being thankful, and I encourage the girls every day to remember how fortunate we are in spite of this sad truth. For now, my goal is a short term one—get through Thanksgiving. A reader who has also suffered this kind of loss, commented that the anticipation leading up to the “day”, be it an anniversary, birthday, or holiday is sometimes harder than the day itself. I’ve hit two big “days” so far, and I believe that to be true too.
So, I’m glad I didn’t turn my back on Thanksgiving this year. As I poured the cranberries into the pot and measured out the spices, I felt normal. I felt like the old “Jennifer”. The one who did these things without blinking an eye before August 7th.