NYC Mom

Ugh. I'm feeling quite torn right now. Glenn and I rarely disagree on things especially important things. This is a big one. I don't want to state the specifics because it's not my story to tell. I just want to write about the conflicted feelings I'm having.
It's hard when you have to make a choice about doing what's considered to be the "right" thing to do and doing what you feel is the best thing to do, for you. Sometimes we have to sacrifice our personal feelings and do something for someone else that we find to be distasteful. It's hard though when you try to teach your kids to be true to themselves then you have to put on a facade for the sake of someone else. I knew things would come to this eventually but not just yet. I hate the indifference that I feel when I know I should be feeling sad and upset. I'm not the only one with the indifferent feelings...we all feel it and it makes me sad that we were meant to feel this way about someone who should be very important and revered in our lives. I don't want a decision to be made that may be regretted later. We'll get through this but I'm afraid that it may leave a scar.

This has been my husband’s gripe for a long time now. How do we go from Halloween to Christmas? He gets angry that Thanksgiving is forgotten and we zip right along to Christmas at the beginning of November. It’s come to him not wanting Christmas music playing in our home till after Thanksgiving.

He loves Thanksgiving. It was a time where his whole family got together and truly gave thanks for everything that had occurred the previous year. His dad was a police officer for the NYPD so I’m sure that him even attending each Thanksgiving dinner was a blessing in and of itself.

Glenn also loves the food. We have to have Thanksgiving at home so he can have a leftover turkey, cranberry and stuffing sandwich on white bread with extra mayonnaise the day after Thanksgiving.

When my husband was in the service he was stationed up in Connecticut. His family was in Brooklyn, where he was raised, so he’d go home for weekends sometimes. Join the Navy and see the world, huh?

One weekend he came home in June with a friend. His mother decided to make a big Thanksgiving dinner that weekend. Turkey and all the trimmings! What a treat! They had a great dinner and his dad went down to the pub to have a beer with the guys. Before Glenn headed back up to Connecticut, he went to the pub to say goodbye to his dad. As he was leaving, his dad grabbed him in a hug, gave him a kiss and told him he loved him. Another guy in the bar teased him for kissing his grown son to which my father in law replied “He’ll always be my son and I’ll always kiss him and tell him I love him”

The next morning Glenn got a call from his CO. His father had passed away the night before in his sleep at age 50.

I guess that’s one of the reasons he holds Thanksgiving so dear. It brings his dad back for at least one day out of the year.

And he, as a father now, never forgets to kiss his boys and tell them every day how much he loves them. He even lets them listen to Christmas music on Thanksgiving.

The President Elect Of The United States Of America

My Election Day

One of my sons had school on Election Day but I chose to keep him home so he could join me and his brother at the voting booth. I think a day long lesson in Current Events and a possible history making vote is more important than a day at school sometimes. We went to the polling place only to find a line. A long one. There were 5 districts voting here but a line for only one of the districts. Of course the line was for MY district. So we waited. There's playground nearby so the boys played. I chatted with a neighbor. We waited some more. Finally we were inside. I took Pat with me into the booth because Glenn didn't want to go. He's thirteen. That should be self explanatory. Pat got to turn the key to vote for the office of President of The United States of America. He and I both got chills and giggles.
Now the really long wait began. The day was long. Longer than any I can remember. Finally polls start closing. Obama took the early lead and he never lost it. I was on the phone with my best friend who couldn't contain herself. She was really cute. Laughing and elated. I couldn't do it. I couldn't dare to hope that we would have real change. Not after the last two elections.
Finally a little before eleven pm I did the math. He got it! He won! I could feel my heart in my throat and the tears started flowing. Then it was announced. Senator Barack Obama had won the race to become the 44th President of The United States..
Senator McCain came out with his wife and his running mate and her husband. He made a gracious concession speech asking us to now come together as a nation to support our new President. I can only hope that his constituents are as gracious about Senator McCain’s loss as this man himself was last night.
Then it came. The moment I have been waiting for for months. President Elect Barack Obama came out, with his beautiful family, to make his victory speech. As always, the man is flawless. Touching upon the concerns that we all have regarding foreign policy and the economy. The Presidential mantle sitting beautifully on his shoulders. He touches a place inside of me that makes me feel that we can be better than we have been. That we are on the precipice of greatness both his and ours as a nation. That we can, once again, be the greatest nation in the world. Under his leadership I truly believe that we can achieve the greatness that our forefathers fought so hard and long for us to attain.
I’ve never been more proud to be an American. I have never been more hopeful about the future of our country. I will probably shed more tears of joy over the next few days. But that's okay. Making history is always worth shedding tears over.

This is the day that will make history. Make sure you get out there and be a part of it!

This has been my husband’s gripe for a long time now. How do we go from Halloween to Christmas? He gets angry that Thanksgiving is forgotten and we zip right along to Christmas at the beginning of November. It’s come to him not wanting Christmas music playing in our home till after Thanksgiving.
He loves Thanksgiving. It was a time where his whole family got together and truly gave thanks for everything that had occurred the previous year. His dad was a police officer for the NYPD so I’m sure that him even attending each Thanksgiving dinner was a blessing in and of itself.
Glenn also loves the food. We have to have Thanksgiving at home so he can have a leftover turkey, cranberry and stuffing sandwich on white bread with extra mayonnaise the day after Thanksgiving.
When my husband was in the service he was stationed up in Connecticut. His family was in Brooklyn, where he was raised, so he’d go home for weekends sometimes. Join the Navy and see the world, huh?
One weekend he came home in June with a friend. His mother decided to make a big Thanksgiving dinner that weekend. Turkey and all the trimmings! What a treat! They had a great dinner and his dad went down to the pub to have a beer with the guys. Before he headed back up to Connecticut, he went to the pub to say goodbye to his dad. As he was leaving, his dad grabbed him in a hug, gave him a kiss and told him he loved him. Another guy in the bar teased him for kissing his grown son to which my father in law replied “He’ll always be my son and I’ll always kiss him and tell him I love him”
The next morning Glenn got a call from his CO. His father had passed away the night before in his sleep at age 50.
I guess that’s one of the reasons he holds Thanksgiving so dear. It brings his dad back for at least one day out of the year.
And he, as a father now, never forgets to kiss his boys and tell them every day how much he loves them. He even lets them listen to Christmas music on Thanksgiving.