I don’t like stuffing. Or cranberry sauce. And frankly, I’ve never been wild about pie. Every Thanksgiving, my family scoffs at my bizarre tastes while I stuff myself with mashed potatoes, turkey, candied yams, and veggies of all varieties. It’s really a shame, since my mother is an amazing cook. She’s an expert pie-baker. It’s weird how everyone in my family seems to love eating the pies, the cranberry sauce, and the stuffing, while I never go for it.

That’s what Thanksgiving is usually like from my end of the table. It’s almost the same every year. Rarely does anything very exciting happen. But there’s one Thanksgiving story that my family will never stop telling, not that I really mind. To this day my sister Katie rolls her eyes whenever the topic comes up.

About ten years ago, we had relatives in town for Thanksgiving and we were all done with our big meal and watching football while the tryptophan from the turkey put us to sleep. But my sister and I got the bright idea to play catch with the TV remote control.
           
It started innocently, with us tossing it back and forth across the couch. You can imagine, however, that a 6 year old and a 9 year old have the capability to get petty, hostile, and even violent. I apparently provoked Katie, and as retaliation she threw the remote at me, not to me.
           
Anyone who really knows me can see where this is going. I’m not a graceful person, and when I was 6 years old I was even clumsier than I am today. Of course, the remote smashed right into my face, knocking me backwards. It didn’t take long for me to realize there was blood coming out of my mouth. I started flipping out, screaming that my sister had killed me, thinking there would be some giant gash in my face. (I was also more of a drama queen back then, if you can believe it).
           
Long story short, I spent the rest of Thanksgiving in the dentist’s office- he’s a family friend. I lost one of my two front teeth that day, and it really hurt. More importantly, I got the ability to embarrass my sister every thanksgiving for ten years and counting.
           
Here comes the part where I amaze you with my ability to tie this story into something actually meaningful and profound (I know, I’m waiting to see how I do it too). That Thanksgiving is a memory that I’m going to look back on for years to come (much to Katie’s dismay). And every time I think of that story, I think of how Thankful I am that my family is loving, supportive, and has always been there for me.
           
When my parents saw that blood, they dropped everything- cleaning, the football game, the relatives- to take care of me. It just goes to show that I’m incredibly blessed to have these people in my life who want to see me happy. This Thanksgiving, I’m thankful for that memory and for all the countless times since then that my family has gone out of its way for me. Never forget that even if your parents or siblings may drive you crazy sometimes (like the times when they chuck a remote at your front teeth), they still care about you.
           
Also, remember that toss-the-remote is a dangerous game to play. Happy Thanksgiving!