I know I’m a week late on this post, but time just seems to fly by and I barely get a chance to sit down and write anymore. Last week we flew home for a very quick four day visit to see my family back east for Thanksgiving. I normally don’t fly all the way home for Thanksgiving, because it is such a short holiday break. So, it had been 9 years since I spent the holiday at home. Now that I’m married though, we have to alternate the holidays between families and this year is my husband’s family’s turn for Christmas. I’m glad I insisted on making the short and expensive trip back home though.

For anyone who knows me well, they know how close I am with my family. I text my parents every day pretty much. My husband joked on this visit home that we should just put a nanny cam in our house, so that my mom can watch everything I do. Sounds creepy, but it is true I share everything I’m doing via text and phone with my parents. You might be thinking that is a bit over dependent for an adult.

For me it is that my parents raised us to be so independent that we feel free to move across the country, travel the world, live on a cruise ship like my sister, etc. We didn’t stay close to home and don’t get to see our parents on a regular basis. So, I’ve chosen to bring my parents with me on my journey through life. When I was a child, my favorite book was called, The Runaway Bunny. It was about a child bunny telling its mother that it was going to runaway and sail across the seas, fly across the skies, see the world essentially. The mother bunny simply replied that if her child was going to be a sailor, she would be the winds in his sails. If he was going to be a flower, she would be the gardener. Basically, mama bunny would follow her child bunny as he pursued his dreams. I took this to heart.

My mother is the wind beneath my wings (sorry for the cheesiness)! I’m able to runaway and pursue my dreams, because I know that my parents are right there beside me in spirit cheering me on and supporting me. I battle with this desire to be living near them and being independent to see the world. Thankfully we have technology and I can text and call them and share pictures on Facebook, so we feel close. I love going home to visit though and oftentimes wish I could stay there forever.

This Thanksgiving, I felt so grateful to have parents that have always been by my side helping me sail the ship through rough waters. Things haven’t been easy the second half of 2018. We both returned from the trip of a lifetime to discover the real world wasn’t waiting for us while we were gone. Jobs aren’t growing on trees and we’ve both struggled to find employment. I lucked out after three months, but my husband hasn’t had it as easy. My parents weren’t disappointed in us for taking that trip though and quitting our jobs and they aren’t disappointed that we haven’t resettled into working as quick as one would hope. They are unconditionally supportive! For that I am eternally grateful to them.

I know that for a lot of people the idea of going home for holidays is not met with excitement. Families are difficult. A lot of people don’t get along with their parents or have complicated families. I am well aware how lucky I am to have such a close relationship with my family even if we are miles a part. I am super grateful to have them as my parents and I hope that I can raise kids that feel the same way about me and my husband.