Happy Thanksgiving – 2020!

Well, this is not the Thanksgiving post I was planning on writing.

Here’s how things were supposed to go:
We were supposed to be gathering at my parent’s house for Thanksgiving today. It was supposed to be a “redemptive” time (for me at least) of gathering together for a holiday, since we missed out on being together at Easter (due to everything being shut down – thanks pandemic).

I know a lot of people aren’t close to their families or are in unfortunate family situations that don’t make the holidays a positive experience – but Derrick & I have AMAZING families & gathering together with them is literally a huge highlight for me – especially when we’re all together. I have a big family, so having everyone together at the same time can be quite challenging.

We weren’t supposed to be altogether this Thanksgiving – two of my sisters had plans to travel to be with their in-laws – but as the week has progressed, those plans have gotten canceled & everyone has set their sights on being home.

Except for us.

Somehow, we are all currently sick. We don’t have COVID – don’t worry – we just have really terrible colds & coughs (no fevers, no loss of smell/taste, just your traditional sinus-crap). But in today’s crazy atmosphere, there is no way we are leaving our house until we are all 100% better. Which means, unfortunately, we are missing out on Thanksgiving dinner with my family today.

Ya know, when you have kids – people give you a lot of advice (some good & some bad). But one piece of advice that everyone fails to mention is that your kids will get sick at the most inopportune times & will thus cancel your plans. (Additionally, can we just talk about how – when you have a baby, you should automatically be given a “get-out-of-sick-free” card? Parents should automatically be spared the sicknesses their kids have. It is literally the worst to be super sick right alongside your kids – because newsflash: they still need stuff and they’re looking at you to get it for them – sick or not.)

So, it’s been a tough week for me. I’ve really battled this sorrow down deep in my heart that is missing Thanksgiving dinner at home. Sure, we’ll cook a turkey & pies & rolls & stuffing here, but it just won’t be the same. And that truly makes my soul sorrowful.

So, I’ve experienced this battle all week. It is Thanksgiving after all & I have so much to be thankful for! We honestly haven’t really been sick at all this year (this round of sickness just arrived at an inopportune time). So, it’s been a test: will I stomp my foot & pout & cry & be angry that I can’t partake in Thanksgiving dinner with my family (like I have literally been looking forward to for months)? Or, will I accept our current predicament with gratitude – thankful that we can still have Thanksgiving dinner together as our little family of 4 & thankful that my family isn’t going anywhere & we’ll have dinner together with them again soon?

I won’t lie: as much as I’ve wanted to accept our current situation with all the grace – I’ve definitely had my tears & my moments of pouting (because seriously this really is just not fair). But – it’s been an interesting exercise to roll thru the emotions of sadness & heartbreak, and then bring myself back to a place of thankfulness (because.. it is Thanksgiving after all).

And, if that exercise isn’t the definition of 2020, I’m not sure what is! It’s been a year of disappointments & unfulfilled plans – that’s for sure! But, we still have SO much to be thankful for. And I truly am SO thankful.

• I’m so thankful that I have an amazing family that I miss so desperately – all the while I love them equally as desperately by staying home & not getting them all sick with these pesky colds.
• I’m so thankful for my sweet family here within the 4 walls of my house that I can still share Thanksgiving with. And especially for Braelynn & Leander – they don’t understand why we can’t go have Thanksgiving with Grandma & Grandpa – but they will remember what Mom & Dad’s attitudes were.
• I’m so thankful that other than this week – we’ve stayed very healthy for most of this year! Sure, we got our usual round of colds right after Braelynn’s birthday in January, but other than that, I really don’t remember us being sick otherwise!
• I’m so thankful that we were still able to get out & travel this year! We took a few trips (not anything like we had originally planned for 2020, but that’s okay) & had so much fun (even if wearing masks in amusement parks in the heat of summer was super pesky).
• I’m so thankful that Derrick’s job has never changed all year. While other people got laid off & even lost their jobs, Derrick continued working thru everything, providing a steady paycheck for our family.
• I’m so thankful that even though a lot of my weddings got shifted around for this year – that I still had an amazing & full wedding season! Most of it might have been all bunched up in the last few weeks, but I’m so thankful for the amazing couples who trusted me to document their wedding days!

See? SO much to be thankful for (and that list doesn’t even scratch the surface). So, even though I’m disappointed at our current sickness-situation, I’m determined to put that sadness aside & concentrate on how much I am thankful & grateful for!
And I challenge you to do the same.

And, because what is a post without photos? Here are a few of the family photos that my sister (and favorite photographer) Ellen took of us a few weeks ago (I’m obsessed with them!)

If you’d like to take a trip down memory lane, check out the last few year’s Thanksgiving posts where I highlight our family’s photos that Ellen has taken for us!
2019’s post: https://www.karaabbey.com/happy-thanksgiving-2019/
2018’s post: https://www.karaabbey.com/happy-thanksgiving-2018/
2017’s post: https://www.karaabbey.com/happy-thanksgiving-2017/
And 2016’s post: https://www.karaabbey.com/happy-thanksgiving-2016/

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!