GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER

My nana is extremely ambitious. This is a fact I’ve known my entire life, but it became completely clear to me when she told me she was going to try and put together an early Thanksgiving dinner with our whole family—aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. I now know concretely that my nana is capable of anything because by some insane miracle, she managed to pull together this early Thanksgiving dinner in a matter of a few days—aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. all included.

She told me she’d pick me up after work at around 6:00 pm and we’d head into the city for dinner and I told her I would probably have to stay a little later that night, maybe a half hour or so. Of course, I felt really guilty about this because of this dinner but my nana knows how our family is and naturally made reservations for an hour later than she told everyone to get there (I told you, she is a rock star). Anyway, I also asked her who would be there and she simply replied, “everyone.” I assumed it would be my uncle, his wife, my cousins, my dad, my nana, and her husband. That’s pretty much everyone since we’re all the ones who live in the area.

As I walked out of work that night, I called my nana to ask her where she parked. Surprise number one: a different voice had answered the phone.

“Hi nana!”

“Hello!”

“Wait…wait, oh! I didn’t know you were coming to dinner!”

The voice on the other end was my aunt whom I love very dearly but she lives hours away. So, already jazzed about seeing her, I ran up to the car and threw the door open to the back seat, enthusiastically yelling “hi!” as I climbed in.

Surprise number two: I looked to my left and there was a semi-familiar face sitting there. I almost lost it, but the whole thing was so nonchalant, it was surreal. Here was my 14-year old brother that I have not seen/spoke to in a year. Our estrangement came about after a dispute with my ex-stepmom.

The ride to and from was so odd, and nothing as I had imagined if we had ever met up again. He tapped me on the shoulder, “punch buggy, yellow!” It was so reminiscent of our brotherly-sisterly days that I was taken aback but really settled into the comfort of having him talk to me again.

My matching brother and I as baby B's wreaking havoc on vacation

It was a baby step, but I’m giving him his time to come back into my life. I won’t push it, but I’m here if and when he decides he’s ready to let me back in. I’m extremely thankful he, and the rest of my family for that matter, were all in one place for the holidays.

Although I wish it didn’t have to be a special occasion to get together with them, I will take what I can get, and I guess that’s what’s so sensational about the holidays.

Anyway, what are you thankful for B's?

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