Family

Families come in many shapes and sizes. They are our blood, and our broods, our kin and our kindred, and for many, little provides more opportunity to be near loved ones than the holidays.

Today at lunch, as coworkers casually tossed around a general distaste for the Thanksgiving holiday at various sides of their respective families, and certain joys from some at the prospect of multiple Thanksgivings due to split households, I became accutely aware and grateful for my still whimsical take on the season.  There have been many occasions when being one of the very few females in a gaming company have left me uncomfortable in my own skin; embarrassed over, and (rarely, but sometimes) even ashamed of my more innocent or non-cynical views.  But in this I find my innocence a comfort, as I cherish the notion of keeping a firm grasp on holding time with family in high reguard. Families are our foundation - the people in our lives who celebrate us at our greatest hights, and reminds us of our strength when we've fallen low. Whether we've chosen them, pulled them together in rag tag groups, if we were born into them naturally, or were tossed in amongst them, satellite relationships mingling with anchors, families keep us grounded in ourselves.

So this Thanksgiving, for those of us fortunate enough to be spending time with family (ours, or someone else's), my hope is that we're able to appreciate and see the people around the table in the best possible light...be it for the first time, or the hundreth and first time.

And if we can't do that, then for fuck's sake, let's find something to loosen up and laugh about with them.

Also, please be kind to the many retail workers you encounter on Black Friday, should you choose to partake in that "holiday." They would rather have the day off to be with their families, and keeping that in mind while you search for deals just may make the day better for all.

As for me, I think Black Friday is bullshit. But that's another rant for another day.

Happy Thanksgiving!

P.s. I'm grateful for Tyler, and the chance to spend Thanksgiving with he and his awesome family.