Giving thanks for most exceptional Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving traditionally has been the holiday on which I am most willing to work. I certainly value its focus on gathering and gratitude, but when it comes to making memories and being with family, Christmas and New Year’s Day always prevail.

This year’s Thanksgiving celebration turned my thinking upside down.

My boyfriend, Kevin, and I determined early in the year that we would spend Thanksgiving in Virginia with his sister, her partner and two of his cousins. Serendipitously, my sister and her family moved to Virginia this summer, so we expanded our plans to visit them as well. Kevin, his family and I also decided to spend the post-Thanksgiving weekend in New York to add to the adventure.

I had not seen my sister in nearly two years until we spotted each other at Dulles Airport’s baggage claim. In that time she had moved twice with her Air Force husband and added a second son to her brood.

To say I was thrilled to visit her and spend Thanksgiving at her house is an understatement. Typically we see each other only when she is visiting Hawaii, so for once I got to take in her household and be her guest. Simple pleasures like playing with my nephews and relaxing with her two dogs felt luxurious.

It was an honor to help with Thanksgiving dinner preparations. I rarely get to pitch in for elaborate meals, so even draining the potatoes and stirring the cupcake batter was a treat.

I was impressed watching my sister run the show. She is the oldest child in our family, so it was no surprise she knew how to prepare for the holiday while managing her family, but to see firsthand the care she puts into it all made me appreciate her even more. She is my inspiration when I think about starting a family of my own.

Gathering with Kevin’s relatives was just as satisfying. He, his sister and their cousins are all close, but work obligations have spread them apart. For Kevin’s family, meeting up becomes more important every year.

All this made Thanksgiving 2016 a day to truly cherish. We got to spend time with people we love and miss dearly, plus the homemade meal was amazing, thanks to my sister and her husband. I could see what I’ve been missing out on whenever I’ve opted to head into the newsroom rather than dine at home, among family and friends.

Oh, and on that jaunt to New York? Kevin proposed at The New York Times. Now I’ll be looking to my sister for wedding tips as well.

“She Speaks” is a weekly column by the women writers of the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Reach Celia Downes at cdownes@staradvertiser.com.