Holiday Weekends
When I was growing up holiday weekends typically meant barbecues with extended family, great food, and lot of laughs. I loved getting to see my aunts and uncles, grandparents and cousins. I loved all the individual conversations and attention. Some years were better than others due to me suffering from depression but even those years I cherished every moment.
Then there was the food! I really enjoyed all the food everyone made. My aunt NeeNee's cakes, aunt Dodie's German potato salad. My Oma's deviled eggs. My dad's smoked turkey. Oh and being from Syracuse, New York...the salt potatoes and corn on the cob. In my family everyone is an amazing cook. It's hard to leave the holiday weekend at the same weight as when you entered.
When I left New York to join the military in 1999 I didn't get to go to many holiday cookouts anymore. Holidays became lonely and depressing. It was like a long reminder that I didn't have any close family or friends. I would get invited to functions but it just wasn't the same.
After about 3 years living in Virginia I was blessed with making a lot of really wonderful friendships. The type of friendships that feel just like family and will last a lifetime. Over the years of living there the loneliness continued to fade. Holidays didn't feel as empty, like they were missing something.
Now as I am literally and figuratively in the desert, this is my second holiday since moving here in late June. I'm finally at the point in my life where I'm much more content and fulfilled with my immediate family. I don't have any friends or extended family here but I do have my husband and kids. I don't just chalk that up to maturing and just finally growing accustomed to how holidays are. God has grown me so much and this move out to the desert is really growing me more than I expected.
Happy Labor day, enjoy what you are blessed with.
PS I'm going to be moving over to wordpress soon so save the address
https://hillaryaboone.wordpress.com/2015/09/07/holidays/
Then there was the food! I really enjoyed all the food everyone made. My aunt NeeNee's cakes, aunt Dodie's German potato salad. My Oma's deviled eggs. My dad's smoked turkey. Oh and being from Syracuse, New York...the salt potatoes and corn on the cob. In my family everyone is an amazing cook. It's hard to leave the holiday weekend at the same weight as when you entered.
When I left New York to join the military in 1999 I didn't get to go to many holiday cookouts anymore. Holidays became lonely and depressing. It was like a long reminder that I didn't have any close family or friends. I would get invited to functions but it just wasn't the same.
After about 3 years living in Virginia I was blessed with making a lot of really wonderful friendships. The type of friendships that feel just like family and will last a lifetime. Over the years of living there the loneliness continued to fade. Holidays didn't feel as empty, like they were missing something.
Now as I am literally and figuratively in the desert, this is my second holiday since moving here in late June. I'm finally at the point in my life where I'm much more content and fulfilled with my immediate family. I don't have any friends or extended family here but I do have my husband and kids. I don't just chalk that up to maturing and just finally growing accustomed to how holidays are. God has grown me so much and this move out to the desert is really growing me more than I expected.
Happy Labor day, enjoy what you are blessed with.
PS I'm going to be moving over to wordpress soon so save the address
https://hillaryaboone.wordpress.com/2015/09/07/holidays/
Comments