Family of Travelers

Thanksgiving was on Nov 23 this year. It came and went of course. Since I live by myself, I had no plan to cook and eat a ten-pound turkey alone. But my sister M and her husband J invited me over to their house that Thursday. Their children came home that weekend. My other sister and her daughter were there too. The hosts cooked up a feast. We had seafood, beef, and thanks to a generous mutual friend, a big gobbler!

I am not much of an occasion person. I would have forgotten my own birthday if my nice children have not reminded me how old dad was getting year after year. But I do love going to family gatherings. This past Thanksgiving, seeing my sisters and their families was the big treat. Well, the wine and lobsters helped too:)

TravelI am a single father with two boys. The older one lives in Boston, his younger brother in Sri Lanka. I think he is there now sipping their famous black tea but I am not sure. For a while he was in a temple somewhere in India meditating. He told me after three weeks of missing in communication, even in cyberspace. Before that he was in Nepal, gazing at the tops of the Himalayas, from a base camp that was 12,000 feet above sea level itself. For the last few months, he has been living in a single backpack around the world. He should be home in another six months or so, or sooner when he runs out of money.

When I told people about my “transient” child, they seemed excited and surprised at the same time. Frankly, hearing his decision to do that a few months ago, I was surprised too. But I should have seen it coming.

Even since our children were in pre-school, their mother and I used to take them camping, riding the trains, going out of state to see national parks and historic places they had studied at school. My personal favorite is the nearby Yosemite National Park, which we must have visited together a dozen times. So I in fact knowingly sowed the seed of travel in their brains, and now they reap the benefits. In a good way, I hope.

Although I don’t celebrate customary or religious holidays on my own, I do enjoy the food and company they bring. So don’t forget to invite me if you are doing any. Even if you don’t, I honestly wish you a happy holiday season!

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