There will be noise in this kitchen.

There were days, growing up, when I would wake up to my parents, uncle and grandmother loudly gossiping about old neighbors and friends from the old country. I was most likely 11 or 12 years old. There I would be, trying to sleep, and there they would be, exceeding all government recommended decibel levels for my fragile little ears. My mother would most likely be wearing her apron, preparing coffee and something small to eat for everyone while my grandmother sat on the chair closest to the phone (Valanti is pictured on her chair). My father would be sitting across from her at the head of the table. My uncle George would normally sit near my father, if I remember correctly.

(Clockwise from Top Left: YiaYia and My Mother; Melomakarona; Valanti in Yiayias Chair; Sweet Potatoes)

I would get so frustrated with them, so self-involved, that I would bang on my bedroom wall so they would get the hint and bring it down. There would be a short moment of silence, then they would get right back to their explosive debates.

Tonight, I went to a friend's house for Thanksgiving with my Aunt, Uncle, sister and her boyfriend. It was great to be around friends and family, enjoying good food and laughter. Conversation began about recent current events and something concerning happened. One of our friends' family members got frustrated with another person's opinion and left... in a huff! Just left... on Thanksgiving.

I have never seen this before. I'm used to my family raising their voices and disagreeing about all kinds of things, but I've not known them to ever leave, clearly pissed off about another person's beliefs. They would just get over it and continue talking, eventually moving onto another topic and eating more food. Then, I thought about it even more. I've never felt like my family was apart during the holidays. We were always together, and we were always happy to be together. That's when I thought about my family sitting at that little table, and that's when I realized just how long it's been since I was awakened by those wonderfully loud noises.

Point here is, my friends, I wish I had realized how perfect my family was, growing up. Although my father, mother, and grandmother are no longer with us, I am very proud to be here with my uncle, aunt, sister and brother. And I hope to, one day, bring back the noise to this kitchen.