Friday, December 11, 2015

Empty Chairs

when I was a little girl, I sat at the childrens' table each holiday, and I envied those who had graduated to the "Big People" table. I wanted to be part of that, the conversation, the laughter, the warmth and companionship. I never understood why I couldn't graduate to the Big People table...they seemed to have plenty of room. I didn't know about the empty chairs. I didn't know that next to all the adults I loved, there was an empty chair filled with a memory. Gramma and Grampa McElfresh had Jannie and Sim on either side. Gramma Ethel and Gramma Hayes had Lennie between them. As I grew older, the empty chairs filled up. Aunt Margarete on Mom's side. Later, Uncle Terry, Skip, Aunt Ruthie, Gene. On my father's side, Aunt Virginia joined Lennie...as did Gramma and Grampa Hayes. Uncle Jim and Aunt Betty followed. Then my father died. I'm older now, and can sit at the Big People table. This past Thanksgiving, I was at my brother's house. My Uncle Rodney walked in to his kitchen and teared up. "Doesn't this bring back memories?" he asked my mother. I looked at the kitchen....food everywhere. Memories of food everywhere. Memories of past Thanksgivings, and crowded tables. Memories of Aunt Ruthie and Uncle Sparky; Skip; Gramma and Grampa. Empty chairs. It should be a song, but I can't write it.