These are the two people in the world for whom I am most thankful, not just for today, but for all the days I will be here. Mom and Dad. Two little words that universally mean love and adoration, and I am no exception to such sentiments. This year, I’m a little more thankful than I usually convey, maybe because we have all seen the way the world can turn. In the darkest times, when everything feels a little uncertain and unsure, I turn to my family for comfort and safety. In the topsy-turvy way this year has gone, we’ve had to be there for each other.
Back in September, Dad turned 90 years old, and a couple weeks after took a nasty spill on the back patio, breaking a couple of ribs and landing himself in the hospital. A tough healing process for anyone, it’s made especially so for someone in their 90’s, with all sorts of other concerns heaped upon the pain. I made daily trips to Amsterdam to spend time with him and Mom, at a safe distance in the garage, or in a mask and even further apart in the living room. In those first few days, it was frightening to see how a fall could so badly ravage a 90-year-old man. Dad didn’t have a taste for anything and wasn’t eating much. His nights were restless and disorienting, making sleep and recuperation doubly difficult, which is probably what he needed more than anything. To stimulate his appetite, I made all sorts of his favorite Filipino dishes, starting with lumpia and pancit, which he gamely tried and began to eat.
Gradually, he ate more and more. I brought over pans of babinka, and pots of adobo, along with a steady supply of more lumpia while our deep fryer was fully operational. The weather outside turned colder and crueler, but within the garage a safe cocoon of warmth and sustenance came into existence. The scent of freshly cut wood and piles of sawdust lent the space a cozy atmosphere, while candles burned and gave off little flickers of heat and light. Even, and perhaps especially, in a pandemic, family finds a way.
The Ilagans will celebrate Thanksgiving and the rest of the holidays a different way to be as safe as possible this year, and that’s ok. I think we all realize what’s really important, and for these two people I remain most thankful. Thank you, Mom and Dad.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families as well – enjoy them in whatever capacity you can!
