Thanksgiving Eve Abroad
Sitting here in Kuala Lumpur~which translates to "muddy estuary"~on the Wednesday evening before my fellow Americans engorge themselves on a smorgasbord of various regional delicacies, I don't see or smell anything resembling the holiday I was blessed to celebrate for over 3 decades.
In an attempt to recall my last Turkey Day at home I've been flooded by magical memories of yesteryear. I have realised that after my grandparents passed well over a decade ago the holiday lost its magic. There have been some memorable get togethers since then, but nothing that can hold a candle to the feasts my grandmother used to prepare. It's been too long since there's been a full house for my grandmother to fend off early samplers and clamoring cousins causing mayhem.
The sad truth is that it's been many years now that the only time my extended family gets together is at funerals. In fact, I've just missed one of these forlorn affairs with the recent passing of my aunt that is thankfully no longer suffering from cancer.
Though a swell of emotions is overcoming my ability to say or write anything lucid here, I'm not going to entertain the negative feelings that steal away from my gratitude and resolve to be ever thankful for the life I've lived.
I'm not going to pretend there isn't some guilt, regret, remorse, and otherwise painful shit being stirred up, but, as I said I intend to acknowledge these things and not become them. I suppose writing this is a part of the releasing of what's unwanted. When I first started writing this, I as usual had no plan. I was just reminiscing. I didn't plan on the last time I saw my Aunt being the last time I was home but I'm glad I got to see her healthy. Most of my life is really a blur, but not this last meeting. For that I'm thankful and I'm going to end this with that..
Happy Holidays to those celebrating and for those of you that it's just a regular old Thursday, you can celebrate life and be grateful for what you have just the same.
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The boy cleans up pretty nicely who would have known theirs a clean cut white dude under all of that ghetto exterior!
Sadly that’s life man, we’re alike expendable and people all move on! Cherish the moments that you did have and make some new ones!
You can still give thanks anywhere in the world! I mean we celebrate Christmas and it’s normally 40 degrees!
Haha, thanks!
Yep cest la vie
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So true, other than funerals, it's about the only time of year when my distant family members come together back home. It is a weird holiday, to celebrate the only time our country didn't screw over the native people.
Yea I've never been inclined to believe any myths of brotherhood with the natives..
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!BEER
Thanks! 🍻
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View or trade
BEER.Hey @skramatters, here is a little bit of
BEERfrom @jonyoudyer for you. Enjoy it!Living abroad is difficult sometimes with friends and family back home you know you may never see again.
It's odd that in these days of high speed mass communication we seem to communicate less.
Happy Thanksgiving. Who needs Turkey when you've got Nasi Lemak!
Best wishes and condolences to the family mate.
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I sincerely appreciate hearing this from someone that obviously knows this reality..
And yes indeed, I had all the tools at my disposal to communicate but neglected to do so. Hence, the guilt and shame.
On a brighter note, the nasi lemak comment worked famously and I laughed as I ate a mistaken tapau order of roti canai.
I could get in the kitchen and crank out some comfort food, but, it feels like a food panda, no peopling kinda night. I stayed up until 6am hoping for a Chelsea win and a Liverpool defeat and instead got draws and thought, this is indeed life lol...
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