In the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, I looked toward the holiday with apprehension. The last time I\u2019d spent it with my family was in 2011. Up until this year, I\u2019d lived too far away to make it home. In fact, I hadn\u2019t been to any family gathering for years. I keep up with my extended family through my parents, who inform me of the latest news.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, that news often isn\u2019t very good. My aunts and uncles aren\u2019t getting any younger, so it often has to do with their declining health. This year, I heard that my favorite uncle, my dad\u2019s brother, was getting divorced. He wouldn\u2019t be at our celebration. Furthermore, there was a nearly unresolved dispute over where to have dinner\u2013it\u2019s getting more and more difficult, apparently, to bring everyone to the same place.<\/p>\n