Russ in Vancouver with the Pasics, Andy & Jas in New Zealand, Ryan in Boulder and me near New Orleans… As Thanksgiving approached, I was absolutely, positively determined not to feel sorry for myself. I chose to do this trip, after all, and I chose to do it in the fall. I never thought I’d still be away at Thanksgiving, but my dawdling made this so.
Many people in this country would be happy to enjoy a peanut butter sandwich in a warm motel room. I was determined to be one of them.
But not thrilled about it.
So I called Mary Beth, my friend in Seattle who manages PR for Emeritus Senior Living. I remembered that they have senior communities in 45 states. Might there be one within a couple hundred miles that needed some holiday photos?
There was. On Thanksgiving day, dressed in my One Nice Outfit, I walked into the Emeritus at Ridgefield Pointe, just outside Jackson, Mississippi. Within 10 minutes, I met Ann, Bill, Jennifer and Caroline. Within a few more, they were having an extra plate added to their T-day table for me.
Bill, a retired psychiatrist, has been at Emeritus for a year and has blossomed there. Ann, his wife, lives nearby. Jennifer, their daughter, is a former nurse. She and Caroline, their granddaughter, live in Birmingham, Alabama. All four were delightful company as we shared tidbits of our lives over turkey and stuffing.
My favorite tidbit: Caroline, 11, wants to be a vet, and delivered her first litter of kittens at age 5. Bella took to her immediately, as did most of the Emeritus residents we visited.
Later, I set out to explore downtown Jackson as the sun started to set. The completely deserted streets were so easy to navigate. But also a little eerie, so I only got out of the car once to catch the sunset.
Later, I connected with my family in the four time zones. Away from them, I did feel lonely, but also overwhelmingly grateful for the many blessings in my life.
Including the family who had so graciously shared their Thanksgiving with me.
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