The Mid Life Dating Files 2025

Write about a few of your favorite family traditions.

A Thanksgiving Tradition That Involves Sand, Football, and Questionable Amounts of Alcohol

One of my absolute favorite family traditions started when my kids were little: Thanksgiving at the beach.

It began for a very simple reason—we were out of school all week, and more importantly, I love the beach. There’s something magical about it that time of year. It’s peaceful, still beautiful, and best of all, it offers a nice little break from the hustle of the holidays…and maybe a few family members. Not chosen, of course. Only by marriage. 😉

What started as a getaway for me and the kids turned into something even better—quality, uninterrupted time together. Back then, almost nothing was open restaurant-wise. Basically, your dining options were Waffle House (which, honestly, never disappoints) and TGI Fridays. So we either ate there or I cooked. Fancy? No. Memorable? Absolutely.

Eventually, my parents started coming with us—and they loved it. So much so that it became our thing. To this day, my parents and I still go to the beach condo for the entire week of Thanksgiving. Over the years, we’ve added a friend couple from Georgia (same business as my dad), and now Thanksgiving usually consists of five of us at the beach.

And let me tell you—we have perfected this tradition.

We Christmas shop.

We shop for ourselves.

We eat at our favorite restaurants and dive bars.

We drink.

The guys play golf…then drink.

We watch a LOT of football…while drinking.

We play cards…with drinks.

Did I mention drink? 🍹🍷🥃

If the weather cooperates, we lay out by the pool and stick our feet in the sand. If it doesn’t, we complain about the forecast and keep drinking anyway. We talk about everything. We watch movies. We laugh—a lot.

This year, however, deserves special recognition.

I introduced my mom to eggnog.

Y’all. When I say she hit that drink fast…💨 It was impressive. Dad was sent to the liquor store multiple times. Every trip he’d say, “I just bought y’all a big bottle—what happened to it?”

Mom’s response?

“What do you think happened? We drank it!!!”

This year we officially became drunky drunks.

At one point, Mom announced she couldn’t drink anymore because she “got drunk too fast.” Shortly after, she passed out in the den—mouth wide open—in a chair. Naturally, I took pictures. Evidence is important.

By the end of the week, we had sore cheeks from laughing, phones full of photos we’ll never delete, and memories we’ll talk about for years.

So yes—Thanksgiving at the beach is my favorite tradition. It’s mine and The Rents’ (as I lovingly call my parents) favorite way to celebrate. Sand, football, family, laughter, and maybe just a little too much alcohol.

Wouldn’t change it for anything. ❤️🌊🍂🍷🍻