Today according to the clock, is Thanksgiving. A celebrated American holiday. Banks are closed (for the most part) most stores are closed in preparation for Friday's chaos, and most people are either off from work, or school.

November, 1997.

We had already passed our MEUSOC certifications, and finished our last leave period prior to deployment to the pacific. I had been back to the base for about a week. Thanksgiving was less then a week away, and I knew this would be another holiday season spent away from friends and family. It was hardest on my mom. Her baby boy was going to be far from home...and hearing her cry over the phone was hard for me. Much like the first time I heard her bawling as the white van drove away from the house one early summer morning back in July of 1994. Her son was leaving, to become a man...courtesy of the United States Marine Corps.

We would not deploy for another week or so....but were granted a rare and precious 96 hour leave for Thanksgiving holiday. Considering we just finished a leave period this rest time would not go to waste and I made preparations. Bus ticket. Check. Bag packed. Check. Call to dad. Check. The plan would be simple...get on the earliest Greyhound bus leaving for points North. Connect in NY with my dad (somehow) and surprise my mom one last time before she doesnt get to see me for a long time.

Buses traveling south to north hit all the towns and cities in between and you seem to be taking the scenic route towards your destination. Transfers, boarding and disembarking in different cities, getting snacks wherever you could.

I arrive in NYC, Port Auth Terminal early Thanksgiving Morning. It was bitterly cold that day, and the parade was still being organized..as it hadnt started yet. I had my seabag, a rucksack with things I wanted to keep home...and a few other unmentionables which would have got me locked up after 9/11. I called my dad and asked what to do, take a train east? Another bus? We agreed I should walk 10-15 blocks and catch the Jitney, which was a bus line that catered to Hamptonites traveling to and from Manhattan from their estates on the east end. I was in shorts and sneakers, and carrying a couple hundred pounds of gear. Poor planning (more like rushed) led to some uncomfortable moments. But I eventually found the bus site and caught a ride east to the Hamptons, to where my dad was working.

The rest of the plan was to get to the Hamptons, and my dad would come get me from the bus, and I would sit at his work till he was done and he would drive me home. I didnt reach the east till midday. I had been traveling for over 24 hours with little sleep, and almost no money to eat.

We finally drove home later that evening.... My mom had cooked a nice turkey dinner, and my dad made me stay in the car while he went inside to throw her off the scent. Prior to getting home I had called my mom before leaving base. She wanted to know what I intended to do for dinner.

"I dont know mom....I might grab a burger or eat some crackers or something if I get the chance." Any mother worth her salt would be horrified to hear her child not eating a nice dinner on such a family oriented holiday. I could even hear her choking back the tears, not knowing I had other plans for her.

My dad opens the basement door in a ruse to check the fuel level for the heat and let me in.... we walk up the stairs leading into the kitchen.

"guess what I found in the basement" he says....

He moves out of the way, and standing before her whiole she sat near the stove was her youngest son...with a stupid grin on his face...

"happy thanksgiving mom"

As long as Ive been alive...Ive never seen such a look of relief, joy, and happiness on her face since that day. She held me, cried and touched my face. I told her I wanted to surprise her one last time...before I had to leave for a while. It was one of the most memorable experiences of my life.

Times have changed since then. Im older, different career....and more experienced. But I never forgot that day, and what it meant to me. What being near your family, or near loved ones means to so many people on a cold night.

Sometimes sacrifices have to be made. We do things we dont like doing...but know if we didnt do them, who would? Humility makes us grateful for the good times. It helps us endure the bad times... and carries us through the darkness, knowing there will be light when the darkness comes to an end.

I hope everyone can enjoy a little something special with family and friends. You never know when you might not be able to do it again. Be grateful. Be thankful.

Stay safe.