....and how was YOUR Thanksgiving?

Whew.  Another Thanksgiving under my belt.  At this point I am a black belt in Thanksgiving Dinner preparation and hosting.  I think I have dealt with every uncomfortable guest/relative situation at this point as well along with being a professional diplomat with family politics and government politics.

I wish they handed out a Nobel prize for keeping world peace at the extended family holiday dinners.  We all know that everything starts at home, right?  I have family members that range from wearing MAGA hats to feverish supporters of Zohran's socialist democracy.  The point is that we all converge during the holidays and nobody gets worked up of politics.  We can have a civil and insightful discussion if it comes up despite the variances.  

Yup.  My family covers the entire range of the political spectrum.  I think I have members of my family who are on a political spectrum that has yet to be identified.   

Truth be told, I have had several bumps in the road over the decades in reaching the utopia of family holiday dinners.  There have been arguments, mishaps, miscommunications, and misunderstandings along the way that have resulted family discord.  I have been in the wrong many times.  Then there are those in the family who think they are entitled to be waited on hand and foot and treat the host like it is an on-demand restaurant and give no courtesy to the host nor to others.  

I am so glad and relieved that the ingrate cancer has been cut from my home.  The ingrates no longer even entertain that thought that are welcome at my home.  They have to make their own plans and cook for themselves.   For fear of sounding like a cheesy pop-psychologist, I've set my "healthy boundaries."  

Now the ingrates are arguing amongst themselves as to whom is the ingrate, and how dare Ingrate Relative X try to dictate the guest list for Host Ingrate.  I just sit back and smile.  

Here are the comments I hear through the family grapevine:

1.  OMG!  It's so much WORK and EXPENSE to host!  It takes days to organize, clean, prep, cook.  Then there is the CLEAN UP.  Nobody HELPS me!

2.  Quiet Rage made it look so easy!  Do you have her recipe for (fill in the blank).  

3. Ingrate X simply can't be expected to host - it's just too much (insert personal drama here).  Ingrate X has two kids, does not work, and has small living quarters. (note:  Quiet Rage hosted holidays with two small kids while working full-time AND going to school AND living in a small condo).   

4.  Host Ingrate is astounded that the other family ingrates want dibs on the leftovers to take home.  Host Ingrate wails, "I bought and prepared all this food!  The leftovers were to feed us for the rest of the week!  Now Ingrate X feels entitled to some?"

Ahhhhhhhh.....so much relief to not have to deal with any of that.  So much has been taken off our plates with the elimination of the ingrates (pun intended).  It allowed us to cook an entire Thanksgiving meal for 7 for a family we love that is dealing with a terminal disease and bring it over to them in addition to cooking for my usual crowd I host.