[Jump]

Happy Thanksgiving to all. Eat hardy drive safe and have fun with those relatives you see once a year.


Enjoy

[Wild_Bill]

Thanks Jump. From my end, Thanksgiving day started out poorly. You know, one of those days when you know it ain't gonna end well? I woke up choking and gagging at 06:00. I'd sit up in bed, get back to breathing normally; lay back down and start choking again. Finally got up around 09:00. Let the dogs out onto the porch, then outside. Stuck my hand into a box of doggie treats on the porch and a mouse ran up my arm, launched itself off my shoulder, hit the shelves, fell to the floor and then scrambled under the shelves. This was obviously surprising but what made me mad about the rodent incident is the fact my wife and built a "kitty-cat-palace" for the neutered outside tomcat using one of my old wheelchair cushions, a "sheepskin" fleece pad, put a table over it then draped that with a towel to "prevent any drafts" from bothering the cat. Apparently the friggin' lazy bum been sleeping there while the mouse was nibbling at the doggie treats less than 5 feet away!

Luckily, I prayed for tolerance, patience and forgiveness for my own rotten attitude. It worked MUCH better than my usual prayers for good health and great wealth anyway. I neither yelled at or threatened anyone during our family feast. I didn't even have to beat any of the great-grand-kids! It was almost pleasant for a holiday.

[Jump]

My Thanksgiving really sucked big time. A window was opened to me and I witnessed something that breaks my heart. I guess the baby in the family is always the last to know. I was suspicious, however, when my Mom never called on my Birthday or sent a card. In fact she hasn't been calling at all in the last few months. And over the holiday I found out why. At 73 years of age my mom is starting to forget things quite often. It's a horrible thing to watch as it progresses. By next holiday season she may not even know who I am. There aren't too many things in life that I shed a tear for but this is one of them. I'm sure I will have many a good cry over the coming years. Not just for this withering of my moms once strong spirit, but also for my own demise in her little world.

Much of our measure in life is based on what is seen of us through our parents eyes. I have never seen my fathers eyes and my moms eyes are starting to look through me. It's a scary and lonely thought if you haven't gone through it. Conversations make no sense. They had no beginning or end. But when I talked to my mom about the San Jose Sharks the light turns back on in her eyes and she seems to return to us and world seems right again.

So all in all, for this thanksgiving I am thankful for the time in my life that was spent with my mom. I don't know how many more I will have but I will make the best of the ones that remain.

[Wild_Bill]

Jump I just wish there was something I could say or do that would change the road ahead. You have my deepest sympathies on your coming journey.

[Eraser55]

Happy thanksgiving US people.. Im thankfull that I live in europe..

but its not rare that old people start to forget.. like my grandmother who is born in 1926 and is now 82. When she calls on someone she lists up maybe 10 names before she gets the right one. Still, every year she travels to europe and visit us..

And when i went to visit my other grandmother she didnt even recognize me for the first hour I was there.. Its very weird.. but little sad aswell.

[quillo]

That's really sad, Jump. My sincere heartfelt sympathy to you