Monday, November 29, 2004
Thanks for Giving
Mike with the Marines; Brent, Cousin Thomas, & Alec
"Controlled Chaos" best describes the hour or so leading up to the point when we all finally sit down around the table for Thanksgiving in Long Beach. But it's one of my favorite times of the year and its really fun watching it all fall together! Everything is large...from Turkey to the guest list, more is just more! Mom and Dad are usuals, and this year we got lucky with Mike and Ashlee down as well. We had other close friends and whomever just needed a place to go. Also my cousin Thomas (the Marine and oldest son of Uncle Bill James in Alaska) was up from Camp Pendleton. He brought a buddy and another at the last minute...yep Casa De Long Beach was full!
The food was all well and good, Mom's apple pies were stellar as always, but the biggest impression on me was made by our three Marines: Brent, Thomas and Alec. Here we all were listening to these three carry on about their adventures...Brent pining over missing Thanksgiving in Detroit...Thomas at home away from home and Alec just back from Fallujah. Alec told of how it wasn't fair that he was here sharing this meal while his friends were all back in Iraq. So young these guys are...yet so fully committed to what they'd signed up for. Alec is scheduled to go back.
The reality of that didn't quite sink in until well after they'd gone.
Geoff
