Parents with high school age kids probably have one or more Thanksgiving routines. You know which family members visit whom, who travels where, and who cooks what dishes. And most importantly, you know that wherever you are, your high school student will probably be right there at the table with you.
But as kids grow up, Thanksgiving (like just about everything else) gets more complicated.
Not every college kid comes home for Thanksgiving. Depending on where they go, travel can be expensive and just too difficult to execute for such a short stay.
Someday, those kids might get married and have families of their own. Life gets busier. More moving parts, more commitments, more extended family. Yes, that can make for a bigger and better celebration. But depending on where those former kids settle down, it might also mean that everyone can’t necessarily be together over turkey.
I don’t mention any of this to add sadness to your stuffing. I bring it up to remind families to be thankful for this time you have together. Don’t let college admissions anxiety rob you of that opportunity. Whether or not Cornell says yes might seem like the most important thing in the world right now. It might be difficult to wean yourself off the talk about applications and test scores and essay topics. But trust me, 2 or 12 or 20 years from now, those things won’t seem as important to focus on today as just relishing your family time is.
Savor your Thanksgiving meal, and savor this opportunity to be together.
Happy Thanksgiving.