Thanksgiving and Football

Anyone that has an extended family knows what holidays can be like, and Charlie’s are no different. The constant bickering that starts after the drinking is what eventually becomes a major war. Leading the battle is Charlie’s grandfather, his mother’s father, who is very bitter and usually outspoken. Charlie talks about Thanksgivings of the past where the arguing was the worst and people insulted each other until it was time to go home.
This Thanksgiving ends up being the best one yet and it all seems to come together due to the fact that Charlie’s brother is not able to be home for dinner with the family. Instead, he is in his college’s annual football game and with that game taped, Charlie’s family makes the best of not having their oldest son around.
Ironically, the idea of someone missing from the family gathering actually brings the family closer together. During the replaying of the game, everyone, his grandfather included, sit around the TV and cheer on their family member. No one says a bad thing. Most people are smiling.
In the end, when everyone is sitting around the table talking about what they are ‘thankful for’; Charlie says the football game because everyone was quiet and no one fought. His Aunt Helen adds an “Amen” to it and it seems to make everyone realize that by fighting all these years, they have missed out on the joys they have now as a family. It took the youngest member of the group to point it out to the rest of the family.