1: A Thanksgiving Surprise
This Thanksgiving, I was caught off guard when my husband, Dan, invited unexpected guests. The day had already been a whirlwind—mashed potatoes that weren’t quite mashed, a turkey still in the oven, and kids causing chaos. My daughter, Emma, was eager to paint on the walls, and my son, Jake, was crumbling cookies all over the rug. With everything in disarray, I barely had a moment to take a sip of my cold coffee.
But then, things took an unexpected turn. Dan opened the door, smiling widely, and announced, “We’re here!” My first thought was, “We? Who’s ‘we’?” When I saw his co-workers standing at the door, my heart sank. He had invited 15 people over without telling me first.
2: A Quick Change of Plans
I tried to stay calm and welcomed everyone in, though my mind was racing. I needed help in the kitchen—fast. Dan, expecting a fun time with his co-workers, was surprised when I assigned everyone kitchen tasks. Meanwhile, he took the kids upstairs to keep them out of trouble.
Thankfully, with everyone pitching in, dinner came together. After the meal, I raised a glass to thank everyone for their help. “Teamwork really does make a difference,” I said. Dan’s boss jokingly remarked about working on his day off, and Dan looked embarrassed, realizing why I had everyone lend a hand.
3: A Lesson Learned
After dinner, I invited everyone to help with the dishes, with Dan doing most of the work. Once our guests left, I finally sat down to relax. Dan approached me, clearly worried. “I had no idea how much work it was,” he admitted. I nodded. “No, you shouldn’t have,” I replied.
Despite the chaos, this Thanksgiving ended with gratitude—teamwork truly made it all possible.
