James has recently gotten hooked on the show "Blue Bloods." I'm happy about it since I watched the entire first season without him. We watched the whole first season (again for me) over the last week or so. On the surface the show is just like any other cop show set in New York City. A vicious, complicated crime...the detectives who solve it...the lawyers who prosecute the bad guys...all in all very typical. But the one thing that makes the show special (at least in my opinion) is that it centers around one family, the Reagans. Siblings, parents, grandparents, nieces, nephews...everyone is in the mix. And each and every episode they have their Friday night dinner together where they gather for good food, a glass of wine, conversation, and just time together as a family. And I love it. And it makes me miss my family.
When I was little we used to have Cherry family dinners every Friday night at my Grandma and Grandpa's house. Grandma would cook something fancy for the family and a hot dog for me and dinner would be followed by TGIF for the kids in the pink room. And it was perfect. I have no idea how long this tradition actually carried on. For all I know we could have only done it three times, but being so young at the time it felt like a good chunk of my childhood. And the sad thing is, at the time I didn't appreciate it at all. I'm not sure if I even looked forward to it. But now I want it back.
Last Thanksgiving the whole family was together: my parents, all my sibs, their spouses, their kids, and James, not yet my husband, had just come home from Afghanistan. And even though I think we all new it at the time, I didn't fully appreciate that this would be our last holiday all together for who knows how long. Sister is in New York now. Brother is in Seattle now. And no one intends to get together for the holidays for quite a while. And it's sad. It's just really really sad because lately I've been craving Fondue Friday or dinner with the Starlings Saturdays or watching the Giants with my parents Sundays. I just really want to be able to see my family whenever I want to. It would just be so nice to be able to stop by someone in my family's house after work just to say hello. And to know it's never going to happen is just depressing me I suppose. I don't know what my deal is. Just a little homesick I guess.
I'm sad about that, too. I never had that growing up and wanted it for my kids, but how?
ReplyDeleteWe will be in Modesto for Thanksgiving, will you? We'll be there almost a whole week and we're really looking forward to it. XOXO
WHAT??????????????????????????????? YES WE'LL BE THERE!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteWe watch Blue Bloods too and I like the family closeness they share. Our family Friday night dinners were special even though at times I would think, "Really? Every Friday night?" I knew we were doing something special but didn't always appreciate it. I also,knew a time would come when we would no longer have those FND's and a mini-era will have passed. I do have to say, though, that it does a parent's heart good when they hear their grown-up, adult children recalling their childhood memories with fondness. I miss you too. I wish all my kids lived close enough to drop-by whenever. I keep thinking maybe someday? Maybe?
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