Thanksgiving is a time for family, food, and gratitude, but sometimes it brings out the drama. One year, my family’s holiday was overshadowed by selfishness and disrespect. It started when my rich mother-in-law invited my modest parents for the first time, acting unusually sweet all evening. I thought she’d turned over a new leaf—until I saw her Facebook post later. She shared photos of herself serving my parents, captioning them: “My good deed for the year—feeding the less fortunate and showing them a taste of the good life.”
As if that wasn’t enough, my aunt and uncle showed up late, scolding us for starting dinner without them, while another cousin arrived uninvited, demanding Hawaiian bread and boxing up leftovers to take home. To top it off, my daughter brought her dogs despite being asked not to, and they devoured our turkey. The night ended with my grandma crying after my uncle brought pizza because he didn’t like her cooking.
Thanksgiving might be about family, but sometimes it feels more like a reality show.