There will be two empty chairs at our table this year.
One, left just as the party was really getting underway. While the other wouldn’t have surprised me had he stayed well past closing time.
Someone new will have to carve the turkey this year. Another to be among the first to nurse a glass of holiday wine.
No one will worry this year if I take too long in the shower. No one will judge if I go back for another slice of pie.
Two empty chairs, once filled by two very different people.
We’ll be raising our glasses in remembrance this year. However, I’ll try not to dwell on all the reasons to be sad.
In between courses, I’ll gaze out the window. I’ll see the waves on the lake ebb and flow. And like those waters, I know other guests will join us as the years go by. My family will continue to grow.
I am thankful there is room still at our table.
Even if today, it also means there are two empty chairs.
Allie Potts 
I’m sure that’s true of many. We keep losing loved ones too. That’s life.. It happens.
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This second departure has been easier to bear simply because it was a long life well-lived, but it is still going to take a while to get used to.
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Yes. My sister in law lost her mom, the day before turning 92 and my father in law of 94 is waning. Both have had long well lived, lives.
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How fortunate you both have been to have parents with you for so long!
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Wow. Poignant, Allie.
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It’s been a year of ups and downs, for sure.
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Sad but beautifully stated.
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Thank you. I hope your Thanksgiving, if you celebrate it, is much more joyous.
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So sorry – holidays are always filled with a mixture of sadness and joy. We just take one step at a time.
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Thank you. There were difficult moments, but it was a good day for the most part
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Your post has beautifully addressed the sadness and happiness of life, Allie.
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Thank you. It’s the lows that make us appreciate the highs.
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Yes, you are right about that.
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