thanks giving

it was a wonderful weekend in toronto, through the unseasonal fog and the sun showers, because i got to see my favourite people in the world. my family congregated in toronto; as we adopted the dining room table when grandma moved, we also adopted the first big family holiday, and three out of the four families made it to our house for turkey, leek and stilton soup, and aaron's apple pies.

i am really thankful for the people in my life; for all the friends that have entered and exited, for those that stay in touch, for everyone i meet that welcomes me into their circle, for the strangers on street corners and in bookstores that humour me by chatting back, and for my family who supports and forgives enduringly. i saw patch adams speak last week (which i will soon write more about) and he spoke at length about the sustaining qualities of friendships and about how the biggest epidemic in our society is really loneliness. laughter is not the best medicine, friends are, he said, and i quite agree.

i think that as we meet people throughout our lives, we are vicariously meeting all of the folks they have ever met, as you carry a bit of all of your acquaintances and interactions with you. in this way, the world becomes a smaller and much more homey place, where all is familiar. now, i am beginning to look at strangers and recognize old friends, or see resemblances in character to someone i have met at another point in time. it's not every day that i strike up the courage to tell people how 'home' they feel to me, but i do go out of my way to let people know that they mean a lot to me as often as i can. so, thanks for being a part of who i am.