Thanksgiving Priorities
Next week this time I'll be in a Tryptophan coma and napping on the couch. I can't wait. It's hard to believe its almost Thanksgiving, again... and like the Avery family, the Bostics are going to spend our Thanksgiving at home.
I know seven week-old Walter won't remember any of it, and it won't matter to him if we pack up his things and whisk him off to Winston-Salem or the coast. Its two hours to either family, so its not even a long drive. It won't matter to Walter, but it matters to us.
I don't know if the economy plays a role or if its just a product of having a family of our own, but our values have changed. My values have changed. I was the guy who took off to Vegas with one day's notice or would drive to the coast at the drop of a hat. If I saw something I wanted, I bought it... never thinking twice. I ate out sometimes two or three times a day. It was only money after-all.
Its all gone. Sure there are memories and pictures and expanded waistlines. But other than a bit of debt, we really have nothing to show for those “good” times.
Except, as my wife would quickly remind me, a “house full of junk”.
No we're not broke, we are very blessed. But as the money didn't matter then, it doesn't really matter now. The value was never in the things, it was in each other. Instinctively I knew that... maybe I just worked too much to appreciate it long term. Its amazing how quickly your perspective can change when you meet your first child. The latest gizmo or gadget is replaced by thoughts of braces, birthdays and tuition... and memories I can't wait to share.
So even though we are both suffering from cabin fever and ready to escape the “house full of junk”, Melanie and I can't think of anywhere we'd rather spend Thanksgiving. This is our chance to start traditions of our own, for a family of our own... and that's worth all the money in the world.
A week before Thanksgiving I realize that I have never been richer than I am today. I'm not going to waste it anymore.
I know seven week-old Walter won't remember any of it, and it won't matter to him if we pack up his things and whisk him off to Winston-Salem or the coast. Its two hours to either family, so its not even a long drive. It won't matter to Walter, but it matters to us.
I don't know if the economy plays a role or if its just a product of having a family of our own, but our values have changed. My values have changed. I was the guy who took off to Vegas with one day's notice or would drive to the coast at the drop of a hat. If I saw something I wanted, I bought it... never thinking twice. I ate out sometimes two or three times a day. It was only money after-all.
Its all gone. Sure there are memories and pictures and expanded waistlines. But other than a bit of debt, we really have nothing to show for those “good” times.
Except, as my wife would quickly remind me, a “house full of junk”.
No we're not broke, we are very blessed. But as the money didn't matter then, it doesn't really matter now. The value was never in the things, it was in each other. Instinctively I knew that... maybe I just worked too much to appreciate it long term. Its amazing how quickly your perspective can change when you meet your first child. The latest gizmo or gadget is replaced by thoughts of braces, birthdays and tuition... and memories I can't wait to share.
So even though we are both suffering from cabin fever and ready to escape the “house full of junk”, Melanie and I can't think of anywhere we'd rather spend Thanksgiving. This is our chance to start traditions of our own, for a family of our own... and that's worth all the money in the world.
A week before Thanksgiving I realize that I have never been richer than I am today. I'm not going to waste it anymore.
...
This is my first guest post at Seriously. Hopefully Amanda won't kick me out and I can do it again sometime. I normally write about politics, but I'm honored to have this opportunity to blog about something else. As a new, first-time father, there's a lot on my mind. As one of Amanda's oldest friends, I just hope I don't mess things up.
We are the same way, we'd much rather stay home. We will go away for Thanksgiving this year, and that will probably not change until my grandparents are gone.
ReplyDeleteBut there is one thing I did put my foot down on. We come home Christmas Eve morning so that we can go to bed on time and wake up Christmas morning in our home, and stay here all day. It didn't matter until we had children, but it matters now. Our Christmas morning ritual is to sit down in the living room and read the story of Christ's birth to our girls.
Thanks for the post Jason, hope you'll come back! And Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!
Thanks Kelly. Sounds like you have a great Christmas tradition, we may need to borrow that. :)
ReplyDeleteI understand wanting to see the grandparents, which is why we will travel for Christmas. Luckily everyone is close enough that we can do it in a day. I'm committing to having my children wake up in their own beds on Christmas morning.
Great post Jason! Thanks for sharing your thoughts with my readers--we'll have you back again soon! :)
ReplyDelete