The 5 family members you will encounter this Thanksgiving

Chris Carter

You love your family but when they all get together it can be chaotic, disastrous even. This Thanksgiving as we gather together lets be thankful for our dysfunctional families. Here is a comprehensive list of the types of family members you will encounter this thanksgiving.

1. Drunk uncle- We all have that uncle who will inevitably get a little too festive, and god bless him for it. At this point in your life you might even admire him for it. That is until he starts making off-color remarks and everyone starts to get uncomfortable. Never fear, the turkey and alcohol will soon have him feeling sleepy. At which point he can be directed to the extra room to sleep it off.

2. Super conservative family member- This will likely be a grandfather or uncle. He will likely bring up a news topic without any provocation or rail against the inadequacies of the young generation. He may say that Syrian refugees will be the downfall of America. I would advise you not to engage him no matter how much you disagree. This is not a fight you will win. It will likely result in you screaming at an old man until he relents, so nobody wins.

3. The militantly liberal family member- This will likely be a young cousin. He is vegan, how this conflicts with Thanksgiving is obvious. He will tell you about his advocacy for political issues he knows very little about. He will try to convince you that Donald Trump is the antichrist. He means well but can be a bit overbearing. Just try to steer clear of political and social issues when making conversation. Try talking about the weather.

4.The overly emotional aunt- She is just so overcome with emotion seeing the family again after such a long time (a year). She will cry at some point, possibly multiple times. She will take pictures; more pictures than is reasonable. She is just happy to see you and everyone else. Maybe she has the right idea. We should get a little emotional around our loved ones.

5.The new family member- Whether through marriage, remarriage, or long lost relations, this is the person who is getting their introduction to the family. They are scared. Based on the previous four you know the family is not exactly going to be minding their Ps and Qs. This newbie is about to see what they are getting into in its rawest form. They may participate in the annual thanksgiving family football game or bare witness to the heated argument at the dinner table. It is important for you to make them feel welcome because your family is a great thing to be a part of. Sure they maybe dysfunctional and crazy but you love each other and thats all that matters.