The Unoriginal Thanksgiving

The Pedersons don't quite go all out for Thanksgiving. Sure, there's a turkey, some kale salad, and deviled eggs, but it's not a holiday any of us really look forward to. Thanksgiving means making a large sum of food for such a small group of people. We're doomed with the leftovers for weeks, and it seems the pumpkin pie is always eaten first and the stuffing left last. Grandma thinks the mashed potatoes must be "just right" - so there she goes, slaving away for two hours to mash the potatoes by hand into such a soft, fluffy texture that a cloud would have a resting place. We all get our meals at separate times, someone always slips the fat dog a piece of turkey, and the cat always jumps up on the table when she smells the gravy. No one is really sure of what they're supposed to be thankful for; there they go, thanking Aunt for the "real good cranberry bread" and mom for the "weird fruit salad". We all gather on weekends to eat dinner, so this meal is no different. Set a table for 6 and you're halfway there to the Pederson hoe-downs. We all sit down on the couches, holding our stomachs, and pretending to watch football while we drift into that awful post-meal daze. Having such a small family is great at times, but it also feels like we've missed out on the incredibly trite and commonplace Thanksgivings everyone seems to enjoy.