EDITOR’S NOTEBOOK: I’m grateful all the time

Featured photo: Last week, we had an impromptu hosting of Sam’s parents in our 1,100-square-foot-home after they faced a septic tank crisis.  

It’s been a busy few weeks here in the Matsuoka-LeBlanc household.

Last week, we had an impromptu hosting of Sam’s parents in our 1,100-square-foot-home after they faced a septic tank crisis. (It’s all okay now.) 

That morning, we deep-cleaned the house, vacuuming, brushing the rug to collect all of the dog hair, cleaning the kitchen, scrubbing the toilets.

And in the afternoon, his parents visited our humble abode with trays of mac and cheese, sweet potato casserole, slices of turkey and ham and at least one delicious bourbon-chocolate pecan pie. A few hours later, my parents came to visit too, and the six of us talked and drank coffee in our living room.

It was nice.

It was the first time that we’ve hosted Thanksgiving for our parents in our life. And it made us feel quite adult. I mean, we’re both still on our parents’ phone plan and we use our parents’ Netflix and Youtube TV accounts. We’re still their kids, you know?

But having our parents come over and spend time in the house we’ve made a home was kind of a milestone for us. And the fun isn’t over.

We’re going to Asheville this weekend to hang out with Sam’s brother and his wife and we’ll be joined by Sam’s parents again. It’ll be their first time hosting the family, too, in their new house.

The weekend after that, we’re getting together with friends for Friendsgiving. Two weekends after that, we’ll gather for Christmas in Chapel Hill and then again in Greensboro for a late Christmas/New Year’s celebration.

Of course, it’s a busy time of year.

But reflecting on how we’ve matured, changed, grown our families — both blood and otherwise — over the years, it’s hard not to be thankful.

We’re privileged and lucky to have a home in a city that we love, surrounded by friends and family who make time out of their crazy lives to hang out with us. What more could we ask for?

So yeah, in the words of Olivia Rodrigo — the voice of a generation — I’m grateful all the time.