Once a year, like most American families, my family and I sit at the dinner table and unlike most American families, we eat our dinner within half an hour and then spend the rest of the evening napping and laughing about how full we are.
Despite the food coma I fall into, Thanksgiving is the time of the year that makes me feel most alive. I get to sit at a table with the people who mean the most to me in my life – my family. For a whole evening, we sit together, while we eat some of the best food we can make, and while we remember and make new memories.
This is not to say my family is perfect by any means. We have our fights, disagreements, miscommunications, and painful moments. However, we also know how to mend the negative feelings that arise from those moments and find ways to reconcile. This is what makes me feel alive during Thanksgiving. Any moment of pain is forgotten on this day and as we sit at the table, passing the Mac N’ Cheese, I am reminded that I am alive and lucky to be surrounded by the humans that bring the best out of me and that love me unconditionally.
This Thanksgiving is extra special to me because despite being thousands of miles away from home, I feel even more alive. I think it is because during these past few months I grew to appreciate all the bad and good moments of my experiences. I share these moments with my family and all the texts I send to my family, whether they are photos from my days or long paragraphs about my worries, I still get a response from them miles away. I feel comfort in knowing they are there for me, ready to reply, and ready to listen to whatever I have to say. It makes me feel alive that I have people who care that much for me, despite the distance between us and for that I am thankful.
So, as we sit with our families, lovers, and friends, let us treasure each moment with those that make us feel alive.
Happy Thanksgiving!
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