The impact family has on holidays

BY MICHAELA DENNIS / Executive Producer

When I was a child my favorite holiday was always Thanksgiving. As a young adult, reflecting back on those memories, they’re the moments with family I tended to cherish the most.

Every Thanksgiving my mom made it a tradition to travel back to our hometown, New Orleans, Louisiana to celebrate the holidays with our extended family.

It would include my mother, my three older brothers and myself who went on this road-trip home. My siblings always enjoyed this annual trip so we could splurge on food from our culture.

Instead of fantasizing about a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, I looked forward to eating traditional Creole food. Such as gumbo, beignets, stuffed bell pepper, gooey buttery cake, dirty rice and a Cajun turkey.

I cherish these moments now because my family has slowly drifted away from hosting our massive Thanksgiving gatherings. Additionally, I do not see my extended family as frequently and my immediate family has drifted apart.

My oldest brother, Nate, is incarcerated, my second brother, Henry, has been battling homelessness, and my third brother, Joseph, moved out of state. I never realized as a younger sibling how much I truly admired each one of them individually until they were stripped from me.

Laughing at my Uncle’s jokes isn’t the same without me looking over to my brother Henry so we can synchronize how hard we’re going to laugh at each joke. Helping my grandma with cooking is now a bittersweet moment without my brother Joseph. We spent that time judging each dish people brought to our grandma’s house.

Lastly, Thanksgiving will never be the same without my oldest brother Nate who would break out into a rap song whenever he saw us getting tired on the extensive drive from Texas to Louisiana.

There is not a day, hour, or second that I do not reflect on those fond moments. I regret not taking enough pictures and not hugging my family more. Nobody could have prepared me to lose my brothers and my favorite holiday.

Thanksgiving is meant for family. Never miss a moment to create a core memory. Be grateful for the smallest moments because you never know when they will become moments you can only reflect on.