“It’s the happiest time of the year,” or so the holiday slogan claims. I’ve always found that a little hard to believe. Sure, there’s joy, but there’s also enough stress. Families can bring great happiness but also drive you to the brink of pulling your hair out.

Thanksgiving is the real test of patience. There’s always that one family member who insists on hosting year after year because they “love having people over and cooking.” It’s hard to say if they genuinely enjoy it or just like being in charge.

Then you have the cast of characters: aunts who still think it’s cute to buy you ugly Christmas sweaters and uncles who can’t remember your name unless you shout it three times. And don’t even get me started on the cousins. You’re either way too similar in age, leading to constant mix-ups, or there’s a huge gap. People can’t tell if you’re old enough to drive or just graduated from kindergarten. Either way, I know my name this holiday season will be “Bartholomew” (the name of my Great Alice’s late cat).

Now, let’s get to the food. Thanksgiving is supposed to be about the feast, but it can feel more like a chaotic competition. Some families meticulously plan who brings what, and – surprise, surprise – there’s always that one person who “forgets” the napkins. Then you have families where the least skilled cook takes charge of the turkey while everyone else tries to stop the kitchen from becoming a disaster zone.

My family keeps things interesting with kitchen mishaps like grease fires and leaking water pipes – thankfully, not in the same year!  However your family handles the holiday chaos, remember it’s only three more hours.

Stay Strong Soldier,  

Bartholomew