Home for the Holidays

Home for the Holidays means different things for different people. Hopefully, all of you had a great time, and if you're lucky, you might even be starting this week with one or two more stories for the books. Perhaps you bravely got on your little cousin's trampoline, only to feel closer to 30 than ever before in the grasp of the motion sickness that ensued. Your little brother might have convinced your dad to go to Black Friday at 1 am "to get shampoo" and visit Waffle House. Your dad might have even gotten up to dance Gangnam Style during Saturday dinner.

These things all happened in Aiken this Thanksgiving.

While little brother Josh rode the emotional roller coaster of the state's biggest football rivalry (the yearly matchup was Saturday), John reveled in Vandy's landslide victory. It was against Wake Forest. But still. They're doing better than, like, ever.

We Maxwells all respond to each other in different ways. Long live my inner 15 year old, who told Dad not to dance during dinner and rolled her eyes accordingly. My cousins taunted me for being scared of jumping. My 84-year-old, legally blind grandfather saw my bottle of wine the second I walked in the door and asked what it was. I gave him the appropriate answer for such a tiny Baptist town, juice, and he laughed. My Dad threatened to shave my little brother's chest. Josh responded with appropriately embarrassing bathroom stories. Herbie loved the pork, the turkey, the chicken, and the beef. He asked why we don't have those things at home. I said sometimes, sweet boy, and promised him bacon for dinner.

I can't wait to see what Christmas brings.