Thanksgivings past

Tomorrow's Thanksgiving. I've always been pretty lucky because I've been able to spend the day with my family.

The exception, that 365-day period of my life when I lived in Indiana. Forever remembered as the worst year of my life.

I had just started a job at the beginning of November. I had no vacation, no personal days and I was the low man (well, girl) on the department's pecking order. But since I was still so new, I wasn't scheduled to be the reporter/designer on duty for Turkey Day because I didn't know the system yet. So I had the day off. And I was alone. Homesick and eight hours away from my family.

Yet, I didn't have to spend the day alone.

The family of a co-worker of mine invited me to spend Thanksgiving with them. Their kindness and generosity floored me. They took me in and made me feel welcome and while I admit it wasn't the same as spending the day with my family, their kindness made my first holiday away from home a bit more bearable.

It couldn't take away the tears that I shed as I went home and cried my homesick self to sleep, but for a few hours, it took my mind off of being eight hours away from my family. And for that, I'll always be grateful to them.