Giving thanks

So when I was finalizing my Thanksgiving plans with my mother last night on the phone, she told me that my uncle is having a big thanksgiving dinner at his house with all of my extended family on my mothers side. I was expecting to have a nice quiet thanksgiving dinner with just my parents and siblings at their house. My fathers side of the family is in the midst of a divorce for one of my cousins and so that dinner will be a bit disjointed, so we figured it was just better to stay at home this year.


I have to say I am a bit disappointed that we don't get to have dinner at the parents house. I was looking forward to doing some cooking with my mother and sisters and talking and laughing and then going to a movie afterward. Just a nice, relaxing day hanging out with my siblings and chatting with my parents.


I know that if we go to my uncles house it is going to be complete madness, children running amok, loud voices of my aunts and uncles, political discussions and the game going in the background. Inevitably, someone will drop a plate of food that will splatter gravy on my pants, a juice cup will be knocked over covering the white table cloth and my shirt with a red stain, and a forkful of pie will land on my shoe. I will emerge from the family gathering covered in food that doesn't belong to me and irritated beyond belief and ready to kick the next smiling aunt I see with a turkey sweater and a bowl of jello salad in her hands. This has the potential to be a complete disaster.


On the other hand, perhaps this is just the opportunity that I need to finally free myself from the dreaded curse of the family get together, and show that I am not afraid to attend any family function. I will slide past my nosy aunts asking if I am seeing anyone with a beaming smile and a compliment on their lovely turkey sweater. I will dodge my loud mouthed uncles with a chortle and ask if the wallet I saw in the other room might belong to them. I will step over screaming babies and sneak past grubby fingered kids telling them that grandpa has candy in his pockets that they need to find. I will dodge pregnant cousins with the offer of finding that missing piece of pie they were craving in the kitchen. I will emerge, victorious, spoon in hand, with the last of the cheesecake and know that I have won, at last.