Okay, I don’t hate all of Thanksgiving. I hate what Thanksgiving has become for me.

I love talking about what I’m thankful for, I love hearing my kids talk about what they’re thankful for.

I love that Thanksgiving day has become the day we stay home and decorate for Christmas.

I love that darn kindergarten skit that I’ve gone to three times now and never gets any less cute.

Gobble, gobble.

But I hate that we can’t spend the holiday with extended family like I grew up doing. I probably didn’t appreciate it as much as I should have, because now it’s not possible.

Okay, it’s possible. I could pack a meal for the girls and I and take it to my grandma’s house (or wherever) and watch everyone else eat their huge, traditional, delicious spread. But honestly? That sucks. A holiday revolving around food…that you can’t eat.

Add that to the chaos of the upcoming Christmas season, and Thanksgiving has become a holiday I’d be happy to just ignore.

I’m thankful that my in-laws will drive all the way up here to eat with us and that this year, my parents hosted a non-traditional (gluten free) Thanksgiving meal. Because nobody wants to host and try to recreate a Thanksgiving meal with mostly sub-par gluten free substitutes, especially if they don’t have to. Or in my case, even if they do.

I hate that my girls can’t eat the Thanksgiving Feast at school, and that I have to send them to school hoping that the coffee cake I put in their lunch is enough to make them happy while their friends eat who knows what next to them.

I hate that we can’t take part in any of the community events that revolve around Thanksgiving. And I hate that that will probably never change.

Thanksgiving has always been about coming together as a family, celebrating the things that you’re thankful for, and enjoying special dishes from everyone in attendance. Now, for me, it’s about pressure to make the entire “feast” while feeling left out.

Help me see the bright side?