Changes in Latitudes

This Sunday is Easter Sunday. I don't go to church anymore, or hold a belief in the Catholic Church as a whole anymore, but it is still a holiday I choose to celebrate with my family. It is more for the reason of gathering as a family that I still cherish this holiday, or any religious holiday for that matter. I have never spent one holiday away from my family. On occasion, my brother or sister would not be able to make it, but that was due to their life circumstances and I never thought anything of it other than just missing them.

This Sunday will be the first time ever that I do not spend the holiday with my family and it is such a strange and bizarre feeling to me, so incredibly foreign that I'm not really sure how I feel about it.

My sister is on-call this weekend, so she can't make it home, or even make it to her boyfriend's family. So, like we did for Thanksgiving two years ago, the holiday and family is being brought to her. Even my brother and his girlfriend are making it, which was a pleasant surprise. I will be the only one not there.

Saturday I start my new job at the Village Wine Cellar. And because of that, and not being able to take time off on Monday, keeps me from making the trip. It sucks, but it's the hand that was dealt me. It's times like this that really make me wish my sister lived a hell of a lot closer, and also makes me realize that we're all growing up and growing into our own lives.

But thankfully, due to small blessings, I won't be spending the holiday alone. Wangie and her family have asked me if I would like to spend the holiday and come for dinner with their family. I was so touched, and immediately felt some of the weirdness about the coming holiday ease away. It won't be the same, but it will be nice and almost just as good...and definitely fun since any time spent with her family usually turns into a laugh fest!