*I do NOT hate my family. They are all wonderful human beings and I love them…at least most of them…some of the time*

There is a divide, I think, between what Thanksgiving is supposed to be about, and what it was supposedly based on. I mean, we’re learning to be thankful, and that’s nice and all, but our genocidal ancestors are probably not the poster children for that lesson.

They were thankful for the food, I guess, but I hardly think the Native American population was thankful for the murder, or the cattle that ravaged fields of food, or for the smallpox. The depth of that history isn’t exactly covered in “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.”

It’s somewhat akin to rewarding a serial killer for the days he isn’t murdering innocent people. Okay, maybe it’s not quite that bad, but a lot of people died, and while we don’t have to keel over in unfathomable woe, we should feel something–or at least acknowledge the tragedy of American colonization.

So what’s special about a grand dinner feast? Or turkey? Or whatever the heck cranberry sauce is?

This year my family has decided to throw all that tradition to the wind. We will be having a feast of pizza, knishes, and ice cream sandwiches during our all-day movie marathon. Our house will be fairly vacant with only 5 people present–two of whom aren’t even family.

And I am so freaking excited.

This is the part where I try not to insult my entire family–note the disclaimer at the top.

I don’t think I’m alone when I say that my family sometimes drive me nuts. I like the idea of them, but having them all in one house is similar to being locked inside a closet with a pride of lions.

Except instead of being ripped to shreds and left to rot in peace, you come out knowing more than you ever wanted to about hemp and its supposed ability to cure cancer.

Last year, my dad’s entire family came to stay at our house–some for longer than socially acceptable. It was nice seeing them, but after a week or so, it seemed like we all just brought out the worst in each other.

One aunt spent her entire trip working on her computer, or bringing her work to us as she tried to sell us her pyramid scheme health-products.

Of course, she took the occasional break to explain that science is a fraud.

Another felt the need to ask “Where do you go to temple?” multiple times, despite the fact that anyone who knows us knows we’re not particularly religious.

It got to a point where even my mom was exasperated. She’d come into my room every night to rant, absolutely fuming about something-or-other that was, to be honest, completely justified.

So although family is important, I’m thankful for a bit of quiet this November. Without a small scream-o concert in my house, 2000 people in my kitchen, and the putrid stench of WAY too much garlic, maybe I’ll have time to actually reflect and be grateful this year.

Remember, if you’re fed up with turkey, not all is lost. There are plenty of reasons to be thankful, and plenty of ways to express that.

In fact, we shouldn’t need a day at all to be appreciative. I mean, a helpful reminder is nice, but technically we could, I don’t know, think about what we’re grateful for every day.

It’s not stuffing your face with mashed potatoes to honor your ancestors genocidal turf war that makes you thankful.

Forcing yourself into tradition definitely won’t bring out the best in you. If the turkey and stuffing is totally your thing, then go for it, but just try to surround yourself with people you love whether they be family, or friends or cats or whatever. Just make sure you stay positive and surround yourself with similar energy. It’s a much better way to stay thankful.

So don’t be afraid to try something new this year. Happy Thanksgiving, New Trier.