Traditional Connections with Mom

      As I get older, each Thanksgiving Day moves further and further away from following the family gathering around the table traditions.
       This year our four kids are grown and cannot be home.
       I was tempted to send a Christmas wish list on Facebook telling them, "The best and cheapest present you could give your mom is to phone home every holiday and once a week. I don't care if we talk for hours or just a minute. It is just the sound of our voices mingling, the knowing that you remember me, and connecting with me across the air."
      But I didn't. Instead my loving husband took me out to dinner, I waited and felt sad all day until my 20-year-old baby boy called from Seattle.
      He has been working holiday hours all week to earn money for college expenses. He worked each night from 10 p.m. until 2 a.m. so he was sleeping through most of the holi-days.
      "At least go out with your friends for dinner?" I told him.
      He just laughed and said, "All my friends are Asian.  They are too busy camping in front of stores, waiting for Black Friday."
      "So what are you going to eat today--turkey and dressing?"
      "Sort of. I'm fixing myself some Asian turkey."
      "What's that?"
      "Duck."
      "So how is duck, Asian turkey?"
      "You know,--Fri-rah, rah, rah, Rah, rah, rah."
      Instantly I knew his reference."Oh, the scene like in Christmas Story, the movie when the dad takes them out to the Asian resturarant after the dogs eat the turkey dinner?"
      We both laughed at the joint memory of one of our favorite movies. He was making the best of holiday away from family, friends or any of the traditions I had raised him to practice.
      My youngest son was making the best of the day. His call made my day even better.