To get me in the holiday spirit, I watched several classic Thanksgiving-themed sitcom episodes this week. On Wednesday I watched old episodes of Cheers, Seinfeld, Married with Children, and even the Love Boat. The nice thing about sitcoms is that no matter what or how many problems arise during the show, they will all be neatly wrapped up by the time the end credits roll. Even if the characters get in a fist fight and all the food is ruined, by the end of the episode everybody will have a good laugh and the audience will applaud on cue.
My favorite part of those shows is always the pre-dinner toast. During the toast, someone — the patriarch of the family, usually — says a few words to bring everybody together. Sometimes I imagine myself doing that. I imagine coming up with whatever the right words are to fix everything and make everyone happy. Those words elude me. I think about standing at the head of the table and telling everyone in attendance about all the things I am thankful for, but never do. Instead, our Thanksgiving dinners begin with, “grab a plate.”
Truth is, I’m very, very thankful. I’m thankful that my parents and Susan’s mom are able to attend our Thanksgiving dinners. I’m thankful our teenagers put up with us long enough to sit at the table and be as sociable as teenagers can be without using their phones. And most of all I am thankful for Susan. Without her, there would be no Thanksgiving gathering at my house. There wouldn’t be a lot of other things, either. She is both the fuel and the engine that makes things happen. I, at best, am a dash-mounted bobble-head in that car — along for the ride, but definitely not the one steering.
Maybe one of these years, I’ll stand up at the head of the table and say a few words. Maybe, someday, I’ll figure out the right thing to say. Until then, I’ll just say here how truly thankful I am — for what I have, where I am, and most of all, all the wonderful people in my life.