The First Thanksgiving

No - not THE first Thanksgiving, but a first Thanksgiving for us as parents and as a son.

Last weekend Rob and I headed to Greenville, NC via Greensboro. In Greensboro we met up with our good friends who have a son our son's age and after spending the night with them headed to Greenville where we spent the night at a lovely B & B across from the campus of ECU. The day couldn't have been better, no humidity which is a miracle in Eastern, NC even in November, a sunny, crisp, 64 degrees a blue sky and best of all a great day spent with family and friends. (Oh and ECU did beat University of Alabama Birmingham making the day even better!).

On Sunday our son and friend's son met us at the B & B. Our friends and their son went their way with their son giving them a tour of his area of study and our son took us on a little tour of the town and campus before we headed to the store to purchase the typical college items that college students seem to always need - you know - popcorn, salsa, chips - before taking him back to his apartment. The weekend was just perfect.

This Thursday is Thanksgiving and this Thursday will be our first as parents without having our son at home with us. While part of me is a bit sad that we won't have him home at least we have him. He had decided a few weeks ago that the trip west would be a long drive for just one day since he would be heading back for the game on Saturday but about two weeks ago he got a part-time job and will have to work on Friday.

This Thursday we'll have our first Thanksgiving without Rob's dad. His first Thanksgiving and then Christmas without his dad.

But here's the thing: children are supposed to grow up, be independent, make their own (and hopefully, God willing) good decisions, but children should grow up - so this Thanksgiving I'm very thankful to have a son who decided he would go on to college, who decided to major in something he enjoys and who decided to get a part-time job because let's face it he needs some party money, but he also knew that his father and I have been working pretty darn hard to put him and his sister through college just like our parents did.

And the other thing: our parents are supposed to raise us to make good choices, to love them, to love our children and they are supposed to grow old and to pass on before us. It should be the order of life and I am so thankful this Thanksgiving to have had a father-in-law who was a good father and lived life to the fullest. I am thankful for a son who challenged us as parents and who has made us proud.

Happy Thanksgiving!