It's Time

Thanksgiving draws near and it's time.
It's time to visit my Thanksgiving home.
It's time to fly to Connecticut to see my dad's relatives.
It's time for my dad to ask us if we've packed everything...and then ask at least 3 more times before we leave.
It's time for the hustle and bustle to get to the airport.
It's time for my dad to give the same "make-sure-to-say-please-and-thank-you-and-offer-to-help-out" speech he gives every year without fail.
It's time to watch my luggage ride the conveyor belt and disappear, only to reappear in the tiny Hartford airport hours later.
It's time to listen to the same computerized voice tell us when to get off the train. "The next station is Concourse B, Concourse B. Concourse B is the next station."
It's time to fidget in my seat at the gate and wait for our section to be called to board the plane.
It's time to watch the old safety video with the same actors who are unusually calm during the simulated emergencies.
It's time to tell the flight attendant that yes, peanuts would be nice and a Sprite would be great, thanks.
It's time for my sister to make fun of me for one thing or another...she doesn't get to do that daily anymore with me being in college, so she uses her time well when we are together.
It's time to descend into Hartford and then have to remain seated at the gate for at least 20 minutes before we can get off.
It's time to watch for our suitcases and get mad when ours take the longest to come out.
It's time to look for Uncle Bill waiting to greet us and drive us to his house.
It's time to see the familiar landmarks along the way and wonder how my family has changed since last year.
It's time for big hugs and "How are you?" and "Look how much you've grown!"
It's time for Aunt Janet's cooking: several batches of pancakes, chocolate chip cookies, pumpkin muffins, and the Thanksgiving feast.
It's time for hours of video games and ping pong in the basement.
It's time for watching the snow fall through the bay window and hurrying outside to enjoy it.
It's time to catch up with relatives I haven't seen in a year and answer the same questions about college and what I want to do with my life over and over again as more family arrives.
It's time to see just how similar my dad and his brothers are.
It's time to listen to crazy stories from their youth and imagine what they were like as kids.
It's time for games of poker every day with my uncle's customized poker chips and his usual, "Come on guys--one more game. Just one more game."
It's time to appreciate the Miller family traditions that never let me down.
It's time to fly back to Atlanta and wish that Thanksgiving wasn't so far away.
It's time to eat at Applebee's for dinner and head back to my dad's house.
It's time to go to sleep and dream about next year.
It's time.