Thankful 2024

I come down the stairs of our small loft and say to 18 month old Amanda "do you want to go playground?" She spins off the couch and makes her way towards the door. Without prompting, she sits waiting for me to put on her shoes. In these past two months I've had off work, I'm most grateful for the time with Amanda and seeing her grow day by day. And seeing her attachment for me grow in the process.

This was our second kind of low key Thanksgiving. It got low key once Lydia, Aidan, Yang, and friends left the country. This year, we opted for a chicken casserole and Peking Duck instead of Turkey. I made the casserole along with prepping the appetizers - devil's egg, salami/cheese, chips n dip. It was a normal school day for Elisa including an after school class, so she didn't get home until about 5pm. We gathered at Yang's apartment, where Elisa spends half the time with her grandmother. My casserole was a hit and Yang's mom requested I send I video on how to make it (four diced chicken breasts air fried in taco powder, milk/cheese mixyure, half onion, garlic, noodles). I'm grateful that Yang's mom accepts Sabrina and Amanda so well, essentially treating them like family.

Gratitude is in style except maybe with the Trump voters. For me, my core beliefs include gratitude and humility. We have so much to be grateful for. Growing up, we had enough but not enough of what we wanted. Now, we try to manage not having too much. Or, in other words: It's not having what you want, it's wanting what you have.

Part of our Thanksgiving tradition includes watching a movie together. Past years have included The Godfather, Milk, and The Room. This year, I had a few choices and we ended up watching Civil War. "We" was primarily Elisa and I. Elisa, at 16, is whip smart, kind, and clever. She's also a photographer, so the movie female leads appealed to here. It's no longer surprising that she's a step ahead of me in following the plot and where the movie is going. I'm beyond grateful for her.

A few days before Thanksgiving, I used Wechat to call Lydia and Aidan in Toronto. Lydia gleamed through the screen, sharp and with the Allio sense of humor. She's a rising sophmore getting ready for final exams. I'm so grateful and humbled for how far she's come in the past few years. Aidan shared his latest paper before the call and his writing is getting more precise and analytical. Last year, this time, was a really, really hard spell for him and I am forever grateful for where he is now and humbled by the care Yang gave him.

Returning home from the playground with Amanda, I hand her over to Sabrina. One of my realizations during this time off, is what a time commitment parenting is. I'm thinking I'm a hero for taking care of Amanda for two hours only to realize there's the rest of the day to go. Sabrina has been an amazing, patient mom to Amanda. I'm grateful.