Family Members on Thanksgiving

It's that beautiful time of year: the leaves are burnt orange, bright yellow, and carmel brown. There’s a chill in the air, and we are about to be reunited with our family. This is where all the funny moments begin.

Before we know it, Thursday will be here. The pies will be baked and topped with whipped cream. The turkey will be cooked (and hopefully not burnt!). The kitchen will smell like biscuits and stuffing. We will find outselves seated around a perfectly decorated table, and someone (usually our mom or aunt) will suggest we all go around and say what we're thankful for. And here comes the fun.

When we go around the table and say what we are thankful for, it says a lot about our personality and our family personalities...and reveals a little bit of crazy in each one of us!Which crazy are you? I hope you can read this with your family and point out each character (in a loving sort of way!).

THE EXTREME ONE

This family member will probably begin their list with a deep, dramatic breath. Now that they have everyone's attention, they'll remind us that we should be thankful for food and air because well, some people don't have air. At some point this family member usually begins to cry, mentioning how grateful they are for each person, which coincidentally makes each person feel guilty for not crying while reciting THEIR thankful list.

THE TEENAGER

"Mom, do I HAVE to?!" they mumble as the mom gives them a stern look to continue. I love teens because they have the gumption to point out what we're all thinking (we're hungry). They might say something sarcastic like "I'm thankful for the food we're going to eat eventually!" or "I'm thankful for this prayer to be over." Whatever they say, it usually keeps us real.

THE JOKESTER

This person can't finish their sentence without laughing at their own joke. They use this time to crack a loving joke about another relative or anything that will make the whole family laugh. We need these people. They make the all too serious traditions more lighthearted and fun, and they always relieve family tension. They might say something like (while laughing), "I'm thankful John got a haircut..." and then laugh the entire rest of the night at their own humor. (This is me! I always laugh at my own jokes haha)!

THE ATTENTION-SEEKER

This is the relative that uses their thankful list to get attention (usually about some ailment).

"I'm thankful the car accident I got into yesterday..." they announce as gasps are heard around the table (exactly what they wanted), "...wasn't worse..." they finish.

"I'm thankful I can still walk on my foot even though I twisted it last week," they reveal as concerned eyes look at them.

The goal of their list is to get attention from their relatives who, in their opinion, haven't been giving them enough attention this past year.

THE BRAGGER

Oh this one is fun. Everything they're thankful for is something they can brag about. For example they might say, "I'm thankful for my promotion and new Mercedes..." or "I'm thankful for going viral on Tik Tok." They too want attention or to prove their life is going amazing (even if it's not).

THE PASSIVE-AGGRESSIVE ONE

Everything they're thankful for is a subtle message or diss to another relative. It's poison coated in sugar. They might say something like "I'm thankful for the corner of this table where I have no leg room. But at least I have a table to sit at," which tranlsated means "You guys gave me the worst seat at the table, I am uncomfortable and feel unloved."

THE MONOLOGUE

This person oftentimes is the mom (but doesn't have to be). In my family, it most definitely is my mom. With the purest of intentions, they have so many specific details of what they are thankful for that it usually takes a loooonnnggg time (while the food gets cold) for them to finish. They might begin with the beginning of their life and thank God for every good thing since their first breath, while the rest of the family looks longingly at the food they are not yet allowed to eat.

I think we can all relate to these characters and the funny dynamics that holidays bring out in families. That said, I genuinely do love sitting around a table with the people I love most, acknowledging the good in our lives. Whether it was the best year yet or the craziest, hardest year of our life, I believe there is always something to be grateful for. That's what I love about Thanksgiving: slowing down and acknowleding what good there has been.

Let me know if your family matches any of these descriptions and take a look at my other "Family Member" videos and articles!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!