October 28, 2008

Dear Friend,

Sorry it has been a while since I’ve written you but I have been really busy these past few weeks with homework and getting ready for the upcoming holidays. My mom had me and my brothers clean the guest bedroom out, just in case our Aunt Lena and Uncle George are coming to visit us again, like most of the holidays. While we were cleaning these old boxes out, I came across an old picture of my mom; it is probably the most beautiful picture I have ever seen. It’ll be hard to explain how beautiful it is, but I’ll try. You know when you’re walking by a park in the springtime, where everything is coming out in full bloom? The smell of the new flowers mixed in with the freshly cut grass open up your senses and you can’t help but to inhale deeper to get another smell to remember for later. Everything is where it should be; the birds flying around quietly in the air, children playing on the playground as their mothers watch to make sure they don’t hurt themselves, couples going on walks together as they hold each other hand in hand, families having picnics and playing sports as they wait for the barbeque to be done. These are just a few things that you see at a park that makes you appreciate and love life. It’s that beauty of simplicity that I saw in that picture; my mom with her hair tied up in a white bow, with her beautiful red sweater that was slightly faded and blue jeans that fell all the way to the ground. She looks so young and free, as she danced in front of her mother’s old house and smiled at the camera. I wish I could see that most often. That would probably be one of her “glory days”.

Speaking of that, my brother and Iwas having a conversation about “glory days” and whether or not we will have them, just like our parents have had theirs. “Glory days” are certain events or periods in your life that makes you feel invincible, worthy and puts the spotlight on you. My brother has had his “glory days” with his paintings and other art pieces that have been selected to be exhibited at multiple art shows and events. This conversation made me think whether or not I have had a “glory day”; truthfully I think I have not. I have never experienced anything that made me truly feel invincible, very worthy and had a lot of attention come out of it. Maybe I have had it but never noticed it. All I can do is imagine what they would be like; to be very content and proud of the work I’ve done and to know that my family and friends have seen and admired me for it. It’s probably those kind of moments that you reserve to tell your kids one day, when their old enough to appreciate life and the little things that come out of it. Like I said, all I can do is imagine until that day comes. I hope it’s soon though because something like that would make me feel infinite as well.

With the holidays coming up, it made me think of family and spending time with them. All the Thanksgivings and Christmases are spent with my immediate family, which is just mom, dad and my two brothers. We don’t spend the holidays with our other family because they are either really far away to travel or we just don’t get along with them at all. Aunt Lena and Uncle George stop by every now and then for a day or two to say hi, as they pass through to visit other relatives but that’s about it. My family has never been really big on the holidays; we don’t do the traditional things that most people do. My mom simply makes a big, lavished dinner for Thanksgiving with turkey, ham, collard greens, candied yams, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, sweet potato pie….(the list just keeps going). And of Christmas, we just put up the tree in the living room, throw a few lights outside of the house and exchange gifts the morning of. Nothing too different from other families but we just don’t make a big deal over the holidays like some folks. It’s a time to spend with family and to relax, not a decorating contest to see who has the best lit house or which Aunt can make the best cherry pie. I think a lot of people lose the value of what the holidays really are for because they focus on little, insignificant things like that. I don’t know, that’s just my opinion. Well, let me stop myself before I keep babbling on about things. I hope your holidays are as nice and as blessed as mine are.

Forever,

Vanessa