Give. Thanks.

Let's start with a Happy Thanksgiving to all of my friends and foes here in Canada.

And Then, I'll follow that up with an awkward Happy Columbus Day to our friends to the south.

Something strange happened yesterday at my mom's house:

My family did thanksgiving without stress, without argument and without incident. Except that I forgot along the way to make stuffing. My turkey fell apart (good sign), the gravy was lumpless and from scratch. The veg roasted to a golden tang and the turnips and potatoes were mashed to the perfect consistency. The rolls were flaky, as was the crust on each of the 6 pies. Wine flowed, but not to excess and conversation was honest, and engaging. I found myself having a rare moment of appreciation for my family. We shared coffee and cool breezes in the solarium as the dogs took the scraps of meat from my nieces with a thoughtful and gentle appreciation.

First my sister's wedding in August, now this? I'm really very thankful for them, I've let go any actual resentment and anger a long while back, but if this continues to Christmas, I may have to even ease up on the jokes. We went through a lot, my family, but we've never banned together in any way other than in silence before.

I love and respect everyone in my family, but never have I seen eye to eye with them. Until this last year, that is. And I'm extremely thankful for it. Its something I missed out on for a long time, and with each passing week, we find middle ground to meet on.

How was your holidays?