Growing up, I’m not sure how many versions I’ve heard of the Pilgrims making it through that first miserable winter in America, but I’m certainly thankful that with the help of the Native Americans, we learned the skills needed to survive, otherwise I probably wouldn’t be sitting here writing these highly anticipated articles that you spill your coffee on every other week. Flash forward a few hundred years later, a zillion bowls of mashed potatoes and mailboxes crammed with Hallmark cards, and for many, Thanksgiving has evolved into its very own family dilemma. Aunt Betsy is vegan this week and needs a list of every single ingredient in every dish. Uncle Tom wants cornbread stuffing. Briana wants marshmallows on everything. Mark won’t come if Jason is there, because he makes him break out in hives bla bla bla. There’s usually some kind of family drama, and since Thanksgiving is usually a big family occasion, some get the idea to propose in front of the whole family. In theory, it’s a great idea, because everyone’s already there to hug and congratulate you: Grandparents, parents, sisters, brothers, extended family, Coco the hamster. However, sometimes things don’t go as planned...far from it! So, I compiled a few stories of Thanksgiving proposals gone so wrong that no turkey wishbone can fix them.
Someone I knew had it all down: her boyfriend was at dinner with her and three generations of her family. She adored her fiance-to-be and knew she was getting the emerald cut diamond she craved. Everyone was enjoying the meal until her fiance opened his mouth and said to her mother, “Wow, what did you put in this gravy? It sure is different than my mom’s! The smell... it’s like my socks after I’ve been in the gym, so I’m not eating it.” Yes, an adult actually said that in front of three generations of family! Needless to say, they weren’t too thrilled and according to her, it went downhill pretty fast. “Now, just what the hell are you saying, boy?” and “You should have brought your own gravy if you don’t like ours” and “That’s a recipe we’ve used for five generations. What’s your problem?” Needless to say, the velvet box stayed in his pocket that day, and he didn’t stay for dessert.
A great way to mess up Thanksgiving is to have a political discussion at the dinner table. Some can be a bit louder with their opinions than others and that can be the perfect recipe for a complete and utter disaster. In this situation, North met the old school South. The potential fiance made a few political comments at the dinner table. Shocked, her Grandpa and Dad looked at each other with eyes the size of saucers. She observed Gramp’s neck veins start to bulge. Suddenly, he spit out his food along with his teeth...not a good sign, and then things got heated. Ok, who am I kidding? …all hell broke loose. They were at each other’s throats, name-calling, finger-pointing, fist slamming, and chair-throwing. Yes, her brother picked up a chair and threw it against the wall! The potential bride sulked in her chair and the only proposal that happened that day was her family proposing she break it off.
A fistfight broke out one Thanksgiving, but this was before everyone had eaten themselves into a carbohydrate-induced coma. Josh proposed right before dinner. It seems his fiance Carrie had dated his older brother, John, many years ago and it had ended quite badly. John didn’t know that Josh and Carrie were even dating (not a close family, I would say), so when John saw Josh get down on one knee and pull out a satin box and begin to profess his undying love to Carrie, John puffed up and delivered a big ole knuckle sandwich to Josh’s jaw and the next thing you know the two were rolling around, fighting like junkyard dogs.
The good news is not all Thanksgiving proposals go horribly wrong, and if you set it up just right, it could go off without a hitch. But for someone who’s heard it all, please take some free advice from me, do not put the ring in any kind of food or dessert ...EVER!
Even though you may need to list every ingredient for Aunt Betsy while going completely berserk dumping marshmallows on everything for Briana, we promise to do our part to make your experience with us as easy and stress-free as possible with no hives, politics, or junkyard fighting involved! Whether you are looking for the perfect diamond engagement ring for a successful Thanksgiving proposal, earrings, luxury watch, or the perfect Holiday gift, come see us at Green Hills Diamond Brokers where FINANCING IS NOW AVAILABLE with payments as low as $49 a month! You can also visit our website at greenhillsdiamondbrokers.com. Come see us today!