It’s almost 11am and I’m still lying in bed, which is a sure sign that yesterday was Thanksgiving. 

As many of us stop to reflect during the holidays, it’s no secret when I say that this is a time for gratitude, joy and happiness. But if you’re like me and millions of others, they can also bring a daunting reminder of the loved ones we’ve lost who aren’t here with us. 

You think of the empty chair they should be sitting in. You think of the leftovers they should be eating for you and taking home. You think of the extra laugh in the room that’s missing. You think of the absence. 

Maybe feeling that absence so strongly and vividly is a part of growing up – where you become acutely aware of how things change with the passing of time. It seems to be an inevitable growing pain that hits hardest on the holidays. 

But that growth also gives us the wisdom to take each moment for granted just like we should. To take those valuable old memories and weave them into something new. To intertwine the past with the present so that the two halves make a new whole, no matter how bittersweet it can be. 

And once you embrace the change, all of the sudden you realize you got through another important day without the ones you miss most. More so, you actually enjoyed yourself and did make new memories. 

And just like that, you’ve put another holiday in the books.

Just like that, you’re still breathing in and out. 

Just like that, you’re okay.