Continued from Part 1 – If you haven’t yet read the first part, I encourage you to scroll down and read it before reading this Part 2.
Allow me to give you a run-down of the family layout at Thanksgiving dinner: there were 7 ½ of us at the table: my father-in-law, my wife, my son, my sister-in-law, my brother-in-law’s girlfriend, their expected baby (thus, the ½ I mentioned), and of course, my brother-in-law, Scott by name.
Scott is an interesting individual. Over the years I’ve known him, I have learned that for him, there is no better time to be obnoxious and disgusting than during a quiet, solemn, or public occasion. I say this with all respect and love, as Scott is a pretty decent guy. And, truth be told, he’s hilarious.
One never knows exactly what to expect from Scott, but one thing is certain: if you are around him for more than three minutes, you will be the proud witness of one of the largest belches you’ve ever heard. I’ve been spending this cold, blustery evening trying to figure out how exactly to describe this to the reader, and here’s what I’ve come up with: cross an angry alligator with a rusty door hinge from a 1950s horror movie, throw in a gas-powered brush-cutter or lawn-mower, then amplify with some heavy bass and reverb, and that comes close.
The fear around this Thanksgiving table surrounded the emotional scarring of the infant soon to join us in the outside world. They say that before babies are born, they are capable of hearing what’s going on outside the womb. At 35 weeks, this child has heard her father many times, and perhaps already feels that her name is going to be “HAAARBRRRRREEPPPPUUBBBEHHH!” Just imagine the sound described above, and you get the picture.
In some cultures, a belch is a way to show appreciation and approval of a wonderful meal. If that holds true, then every meal I’ve shared with Scott has been the best he’s ever eaten. Now, you might be experiencing an audible or internal “Ewww!” here, but every family has something they come to expect from each member. I don’t know what’s worse: the belching bro, or the fact that it hardly phases any of us anymore.
Punctuated by these steroid-enhanced burps, the conversations went in many different directions, but we all had a great time, sharing great food, and enjoying one another’s company. No matter how ‘different’ our families might be from the idealized picture of Thanksgiving we have in our minds, we are really very fortunate. What makes this time so special is that we all have our little quirks that make us who we are. We have the opportunity to be with and to share with each other, when in too many homes, this just isn’t the case.
God created us all a little differently from each other, but we are so much the same. We are truly blessed to have people in our life that bring a smile to our face, or make us appreciate all we have. There are a lot of things that could have brought this evening down, and this Thanksgiving was more difficult than any other we’ve had in the past, but it was still one to remember.
Be thankful, whether picture perfect in reality or just in your mind, that we have what we do have: loving families, precious friends, wonderful food, a home, laughter, and most importantly, a loving Father and Savior to provide for our needs, to support us when we are down, and to let us have a little fun along the way. I pray your Thanksgiving went well, that these latest blog entries brought a smile to your face, and that God continues to bless you through the rest of the holiday season.
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