A Quiet Thanksgiving

We decided that we couldn't do another loud family Thanksgiving

You know, my mother does it at her house
And you walk in
And people are yelling
My brother's screaming at his kids
To get down from whatever it is they're hanging from
My sister's fighting with my mom
Because mom said something about whatever moron
My sister's currently dating
And then my father gives my kids a twenty dollar bill
And tells them to split it
And so they actually rip it into pieces
And--oh it's a mess

A total mess

And I said, 'You know what?  It's not like we live far from our family.  We see these people all the time.  We can take Thanksgiving off this year and do something different.'

So we booked a trip to Florida
And of course, everybody's all up in arms
But I said--'Listen, I want a quiet Thanksgiving.
Now if you all think you can behave this year we'll stay
But otherwise, I'm spending turkey day on a beach in Miami'

And they knew they couldn't promise to keep things civilized
So they said, 'Fine, go'
But they weren't happy about it
Especially my mother
Who cried over my kids the night before we left
Like I was taking them on a Himalayan mountain adventure

It's a holiday vacation
Lots of people do it
I didn't know why everybody felt like
I was being so cruel

We got on a plane
We got to the hotel
We got the kids in the pool
And my husband and I
Started to relax

And that was when I saw her

This little old woman
By the pool
Not looking...unhappy
Just hanging out
But, you know, by herself

And it's the day before Thanksgiving
And I sort of...Well, I guess I felt...curious
About why she'd be there by herself

So I went over and introduced myself
And we struck up a conversation
And she was very pleasant
And finally we got around to talking
About the holiday and all that

She asked if I was enjoying being at such a nice hotel
With my family

And I said, 'Well, yes.  But to be honest, we left most of the family back home'

And she looked at me kind of funny
So I told her about how I wanted a quiet Thanksgiving
And so my husband and the kids and I took a little...break
From the rest of the family

She nodded
And told me that she's lost touch with her family
That there was some fighting
And other personal issues
And now she comes to this hotel every year for the holidays
And spends them by herself

She said if it were up to her
Holidays would be a lot noisier

'The love is in the noise,' she said

And you know...

I looked at my kids
Who are getting bigger everyday
And I looked at my husband
Who keeps getting older
And I thought about myself
And I'm going to be around forever

But I guess not everybody is

So I put the bags and the kids
Back in a taxi
And we went to the airport
And hopped an early plane home

My mom was so happy
When the kids came running into her kitchen

Yes, there were still nieces and nephews
Jumping on furniture
And yes, my sister was still locked in her old bedroom
Because she's dating a mime
And my mom asked if you could see his job
And my Dad gave my kids a roll of nickels
And they ate half of them

And I guess if you looked at it from the outside
You'd say--

Well, this is a big mess

But...

You don't see the way my mom hugs my kids
With that extra hug that only a grandma can give you

And you don't see the way I hug my sister when she finally comes out of the room
That sisterly kinda hug that says 'I'm glad I've known you my whole life'

And you don't see the way my father smiles
When he's sitting at the head of the table
Looking at this amazing clan he and my mom have held together over the years

Those smiles, you know, they're small
They're not always easy to see

Sometimes all that love
Gets lost in the noise
But it's still there

After dinner, when I was helping my Mom do the dishes in the kitchen
She said to me--

'Are you sad you didn't get your quiet Thanksgiving?'

And I gave her a kiss on the cheek
Still smelling like the gorgeous Miami sun
Still tasting those mixed drinks by the pool
Still seeing that blue, blue water

And I said--

'Ma, I can't think of anywhere I'd rather be'