Thankfully Non Traveling

Today is the day before Thanksgiving and a day I used to dread when I was in the military.  I absolutely love going to Thanksgiving dinner with my father's family in New England.  Its a tradition that dates back to before World War II and now includes a sixth generation of the family.  This is usually the only time in the year that we see most of the family but as I have stated before, "there's something special about cousins".  There is also a family football game that is long on fun and short on rules which at times gets incredibly creative.  This is my next to favorite day of the year as nothing will ever replace Christmas for me.  So saying all this why did I dread this day so much?  The driving from the far flung outposts I was stationed to this gathering was brutal.  This is generally acknowledged as the worst day of the year to be on the roads and I was on them every year.  I admire and love my wife and kids for putting up with those stultifying trips; I think they realized how important it was for me to be at those dinners.  A few years ago my mother died on the day before Thanksgiving so I do not have a lot of "good" feeling about this day.  Since I've retired from the military I don't have to travel on this day and it's something I am so thankful for, if for no other reason than I don't have to pass through Connecticut, which is a kind of personal driving pugatory.  Looking back, as painful as those drives were, the feeling of being around family and sharing that bond was more than worth the pain.  Happy Thanksgiving everybody and my understanding for the pain of those who have to travel today and tonight.