What is there to apologize to Thanksgiving? Many things if you are an international student…
Dear Thanksgiving,
Happy fifth anniversary! You did it… job well done, yet again. I’ll admit, I have never thought that our relationship could blossom so beautifully having had a rocky start like ours. Remember our first encounter, the night when I had no where to call home? What’s worse, the night when every restaurant (including Chinese food place) is closed while everybody else is feasting? Yeah… let’s not go back to that.
Well, it seems like you’ve learned from your mistake. And quite honestly, you really did a great job making it up to me: drunk relatives (of my pseudo-family for the weekend), deliciously roasted turkey, perfectly mashed potatoes, endless supply of cranberry-apple/pecan/pumpkin/everything else pies… the list goes on FOREVER. I mean, you really do know what you’re doing. Oh, don’t worry, who do you think I am? Of course I didn’t really mind the calories. I mean really, I was the person who willfully went back for a second plate. And the Christmas cookies and leftovers the day after thanksgiving? Ah—it’s all right, everybody needs some of that in their lives.
All right. I know, I know…enough with the sweet talking. Okay, here’s the real deal: I’m here to apologize.
Sorry if this comes out cold, but…you really didn’t mean a THING to me for at least the first two years of our relationship, and to be honest, you were just kind of stupid to me. All you brought to me was awkwardness, because I didn’t know how to act around strangers. You constantly showered me with love through your delicious snacks, entertaining football games and blessings to start listening to Christmas music without judgment. But no, the love just wasn’t quite reciprocal. I don’t know, I just didn’t have quite the emotional ability or background to really understand you. I couldn’t help it. My heart belonged to somewhere else, somewhere from a thousands of miles away in a different continent, with my family (Even though I low-key enjoyed the food you provided for me regardless).
But you know what they say, “distance makes the heart grow fonder”. Because of you, I am more thankful than ever for my family; because of you, I am more thankful than ever for those who love and care for me (my new family from college, my pseudo-family, and everyone who offered to visit you with me); because of you, I am more thankful than ever to well… just really everything.
(Cheese alert!) Thank you for showing me that love can come from more than one place than just home. Thank you for encouraging me to discover beauty in things I would have otherwise ignored. Thank you for reminding me of just how important it is to show love and gratitude to those who make even just the slightest difference in my life—something we all tend to (but shouldn’t) forget to do amid our busy lives. Thank you for being you.
For you and all you stand for, I am truly thankful.
Much Love and Respect,
An International Student
P.S. Will you make sure my pseudo-relatives stop asking me questions on our next anniversary?