So it's the last Thursday of November and my office is very very quiet. Except for the little guy squealing and the printer humming and the other guy who is here. Yup. It is Thanksgiving today and I am at work with my baby and co-worker. It is weird being here all by myself. Yeah, I was here with the baby for a while until the other person showed up. The entire floor is quiet and the phones aren't ringing, and it is just eerie. I don't think I would do this on a regular basis, and can't imagine my boss doing this nightly and Sundays!

Why am I here? I must have blogged about how things work here. I just felt that if I take off for my holidays, why shouldn't I come in when it is not mine? Also, there is not much to do at home the kids are in school half a day, and stores are closed. So might as well work and use this day another day like on Channukah or something like that! I am entitled to it, and I will probably use it before the end of the year, (I hope, because I don't think it rolls over).

I have plenty of work to do even if I left some home. I should do it, but I am here instead for now. The quietness gives me time to ponder different thoughts. Yesterday I had a discussion with the girls who work for me. What they do on Thanksgiving and the other holidays. Something to think about. I mean, after all, they ask me all the time about the Yomim Tovim and I get to explain to them. One of the two comes from a really religious family. They spend all morning in Church. She told me she is not supposed to listen to music other than her music. She is not supposed to wear pants and live with her boyfriend. Obviously she is not practicing, but her father is very strict. She is supposed to go to Church every week, but doesn't always make it. And she grew up not getting dressed up for Halloween and still doesn't. What caught my attention, was how similar our lives are. She has rules of her religion. I have rules of my religion. We both know the rules. We understand them. That is about it. I respect and follow them, she respects them but does not follow. But what the difference between the her and other people that I know, she is open about her beliefs and practices. She openly tells me that she is supposed to do this or not do it, but she chose not to and is fine with it. She doesn't hide her actions. Unlike a lot of people I know, or read their blogs, we tend to hid the wrong doings. If we are not allowed to do something and we do it anyway, we hide it. It seems that we are embarrassed by it, or we don't know how to accept someone who has desire not to follow our beliefs.

Do we not know how to handle people who differ from us? Do we know what to say to them? Or do we just try to bury it under the carpet, back of the closet? Or different city? Do we try to hide the things that are wrong from others so that we can appear perfect? I just don't understand. We have rules and obligations. A code to follow. If we don't follow we are shunned. Is this a correct way to live?

The next question that aroused was about being pregnant and not married. How can I explain that this doesn't happen? Of course it happens, enough that we know about it. Chances that we take..Which brings us back to the previous paragraph about how we are to those who want to experience life differently than the way they were brought up. What do we do? Do we force the two to get married so the child has two parents at birth? We are open to divorces where some religions are not. We do agree that we don't always make the right decision or things do not work out, and there is a way out. Other religions frown upon divorces and make it almost impossible to obtain one. And if you do obtain one, you cant remarry in the Church. Who is correct? Is it okay to bring the child in being married and then divorce, so the child grows up in a divorced home? Is it better to not get married to the guy? I didn't have an answer for these girls at work. I never encountered such, and therefore don't know what others who have been in these situations have done.

While my office is out on vacation today giving thanks to whomever they feel like, and watching a game on T.V. of in the local stadium, I am here at work giving my thanks for my life. We are different, very different from one another different views on life...Yet, there are still certain things that are the same.

Enjoy your Turkey dinner, or your Chinese food, or a typical Frum house...Enjoy your Pizza tonight!!