Each family’s Thanksgivings are similar, but oddly different at the same time. Everybody eats the same foods for the same purpose, and maybe Black Friday shopping on Thursday night is on the agenda. However, other families might put a special twist on their meals or even begin decorating for Christmas. My family definitely tends to fit the definition of “dysfunctional,” which is evident in our Thanksgiving traditions.

As a child, my entire family congregated at my grandparents’ house because my Nana would go all out on everything from elaborate decorations to exquisite foods. Sweet potatoes with marshmallow sauce, homemade cranberry sauce, and green bean casserole are some of my favorites. Despite all the fun we had, we no longer spend the holidays the same way. My family is now scattered across the country (including Florida, California, and Oklahoma), which makes it difficult to schedule. It seems like each year we attempt to get back together, but something smalls always finds a way to ruin it.

Although Thanksgiving in recent years has been fun and full of delicious cuisine, I constantly reflect on my childhood memories. My cousin and I would run around the house playing games with a slice of pumpkin pie in our hand, and later in the night the adults would pull out s’mores ingredients and start a fire. Christmas music played softly in the background. Jokes were be made and laughter followed. It was a scene you would see in a movie; everyone gathered around the dining table with a china plate full of grandma’s best cooking.

This year, some of my family members who still live in Texas are meeting in Galveston for a tropical version of Thanksgiving. Instead of baking the turkey in the oven, we are planning to fry the turkey and add some new elements to our Thanksgiving feast. Hopefully it will be as memorable as past years!