Thanksgiving Imperfection

I've watched commercial after commercial of the picture-perfect family sitting around the Thanksgiving table and honestly I look at that like it's just a figment of the director's imagination. When it came to my family of origin, I never had a holiday like that. Not one. It was always, always crazy and chaotic. Yo, Tracy. Girlfriend. Count yourself in on one major blessing right now. You are one fortunate woman. But I'm sure you know that already. You are such a sweetheart.

Now, I don't want to make this post a tell-all on my wacky family, but I can't resist giving a few hints as to the level of our family dysfunction. Never did we sit down for Thanksgiving dinner before 9:00 p.m., and never was it to a home-cooked meal. On the contrary the food was ALWAYS pre-ordered from the club we belonged to. And by that time of night my mother, God rest her beautiful soul, had inevitably had a few too many. (She grew up in the Golden Age of Cinema as a Hollywood actress when martinis and cigarettes came with the job). Once we'd finally sit down at the elegant table adorned with my grandmother's antique linen table cloth, fine china and sterling flatware, and upon discovery that the turkey was as dry as a bone from the extra hours it spent in the warming drawer, and that there wasn't enough gravy to go on both the turkey AND the mashed potatoes, my poor mother yells - well screams, "THIS YEAR WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A PEACEFUL THANKSGIVIIIIIIING."

Years of therapy later, here I am a Novel Girl.

I will say this about dysfunction. Dysfunction=Conflict=Great Writing Material. So that leads me to the chief reason I'm thankful for 2009. My dream came true after a very long fourteen years. I am finally a published author! I have no idea what 2010 will bring but I'm pretty sure it will hold its share of ups and downs. This past year brought my highest high and unfortunately my lowest low. But I thank God for His sovereignty and for the life of a beautiful young man, someone whom I've always thought of as my other son. My family has hope in knowing that Josiah David Berger is alive in Heaven and waiting to someday welcome my boys and me to his eternal home. Here's to you, Josiah. Never did you miss a chance to encourage me over the years while writing Whistlin' Dixie in a Nor'easter and I'm so thankful for you.

Happy Thanksgiving Eve everyone!!