November 22, 2025: The Returning Years

It happened tonight for the first time in months.

Everyone, all together, in our living room. Now that the kids live in different cities, our gatherings require plane tickets and coordination.

And these moments become sacred to me.

The bittersweet truth of parenting: our greatest success is their independence, which often creates geographical distance. But when they walk through that door, the years collapse and the miles fade and we're whole again.

For now, the house is full. The way it used to be every night. And I revel in the small things… where they sit, how their voices overlap, the laughter.

This is what Thanksgiving means now, not the meal, but everyone coming home.

Our walls will be quiet again soon, but tonight it's exactly as it should be.

And I am thankful.