Thanksgiving is upon us, which means a celebration of tradition-and nothing screams American tradition more than apple pie, the parading of balloons on steroids and the stealing of land from indigenous people.
Today we will all pack our duffle bags and bid adieu to the ladybugs in our dorm rooms and the construction workers outside of Arjona. Akin to the pilgrims attaining religious freedom from persecution by King James I, we will be free to take showers sans flip flops for an entire week.
Traditions are what make this holiday the heartwarming day that it is. Thanksgiving just wouldn't be Thanksgiving if we didn't have Mom's homemade mashed potatoes or Grandpa didn't taking out his false teeth at the dinner table. And let's be honest, this holiday starts the minute you walk in the door, perhaps with your dad innocently asking you, "Are we keeping up with the gym?"
Is this a subtle way of saying my pants look a little on the tight side? While you would like to tell your dad you have a hot date at the gym every night, the truth is, you probably are more familiar with the delivery guy at Wings Over Storrs than you are with the elliptical machine. Consequently, Thanksgiving can be a little depressing as the harsh reality sets in that you undoubtedly put on some weight. You acknowledge this when your mom tells you to wear that dress that's collecting dust in your closet to Thanksgiving dinner, and lo and behold, you can't even zip it up. But whatever, you can always wear yoga pants.
This brings us to the dinner itself, where family members enjoy asking at least one of the following questions: 1.) how are your grades? 2.) do you have a boyfriend? and 3.) why haven't you friended me on Facebook yet? The grades question is always pretty standard. Aunt Phyllis asks over mince meat pie, "So how is math class going?", to which you reply, "Well … we do math."
Though these conversations can become tiring, the boyfriend question never gets old. Your grandmother, who is convinced it's still 1945 and that you should be picking out your wedding dress and china patterns by now, will inquire about your relationship status in which you can reassure her, "Yes, Granny, I'm going to marry a doctor. Don't worry; those pre-med majors can't stop knocking on my door." Wink, wink.
And finally, the $64,000 question arises, also known as the Facebook inquiry. Uncle Fred loudly asks why you haven't accepted his friend request. Although this can be a tough hurdle to jump, you can smoothly handle this question by saying, "Oh Uncle Fred, I'm hardly ever on Facebook anymore. I'm so busy practicing my beer pong skills and creeping on the kid with the wrist tattoo in my history lecture, that Facebook is just a waste of time. It's nothing personal." Crisis averted.
Ultimately, Thanksgiving is a tease. Just when you begin to feel a little rejuvenated and have begun to recover some fried brain cells, you have to scramble to squeeze in that last load of laundry, pack up your belongings, and start prepping for finals. I'm sure you Twi-hards can relate: no matter how many times you watch that "New Moon" movie trailer, Jacob Black is not going to pounce out of the screen and imprint on you. Just as Thanksgiving is meant to hold us over until winter break, your YouTube trailers will have to suffice, as unjust as it seems.
But even though I don't like eating turkey and it drives me bananas that Christmas songs are already on the radio, I nonetheless appreciate the true meaning of Thanksgiving. It is more than just a day where we lie around watching football with our pants unbuttoned after feasting on massacred turkey populations. It's a day to really appreciate what we have and spend time with those we love. It's a day to embrace our family's quirkiness and rest assured that we're not alone in being accosted by one of Aunt Phyllis' suffocating hugs. Sure, there are some things I could do without on Thanksgiving, but I love expecting the unexpected, which is a tradition I'm more than willing to keep.
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