It was our first Thanksgiving in the new house, and I wanted everything to be perfect. However, my husband just got a new job in retail, so our family "plan" for everyone to take part in the necessary prep work had been torpedoed. To make matters worse, a key project for me that week had claimed two days of planned vacation. John Lennon was right: Life is what happens while you are making other plans.
By Wednesday night, while my husband was selling camping equipment as Christmas gifts, my children and I were at home and into full-blown vacuum mania (吸尘狂潮) . I was thankful that a kid's pocket money did not make up salary as I put my six and eight-year-old to work, going against all child labor laws. For my part, I was as busy as a bee in the toilet bowl, heading for a breakdown
I don't remember what my son asked me as he was trying his best to finish the vacuuming, but I do remember twisting into that mean-and-tight mom face before barking out a rude answer. Instead of dashing out of view, my second-grader turned off the vacuum and walked the whole way around the stairwell to face me. He never said a word. He just wrapped his arms around me for a hug that made me feel ashamed of myself to this very day. My son took a risk to teach me that sometimes we need a hug most when we are least huggable.
It was the perfect Thanksgiving. The people I loved gathered around my table where a pumpkin covered up last year's gravy stain (肉汁污渍) . We dined on just one choice of pie, and my dad used a mismatched dinner fork without complaint. My daughter drew a picture of us on a paper plate where no one had their eyes closed.
I learned a lot from an eight-year-old that holiday, and I've tried hard to remember it. If you find a person complaining about her job or her dress size, give her a hug. It just might be what she needs most.
