What do you think of when you hear the word “Thanksgiving”? I have memories of being at my grandparents’ house, sitting at the dining room table and watching the hustle and bustle of a huge meal being prepared for all the extended family that had gathered for the evening.

My Grandma Josephine would time everything going in and out of the one little oven as dishes heated up and family members made last minute sides. My aunts would all tell her to “go sit down and relax” and that they would take care of it all. Grandma would insist that she wanted to help but eventually sigh and head to the living room.

Then, a few minutes later, we’d hear her call from rooms away, “something’s burning!” before any of us even realized the casserole was in the oven a little too long. And she’d be back in the kitchen for the rest of the afternoon, not trusting anyone but herself to make sure dinner was perfect.

I know my brothers always looked forward to Thanksgiving football games. They’d all head down to the basement and devour plates full of snacks as they cheered on their teams. Some years, we watched the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade to start the day off in celebratory fashion. I remember many times that we’d only have a little mid-morning snack, skip lunch and save our appetites for the glorious dinner. If there’s one thing everyone can get excited about, it’s food.

We all have different favorite traditions — an annual Turkey Trot 5K, a family game of football, a tasty family recipe always featured for Thanksgiving dinner. But what makes all of these traditions memorable and important is the people who participate in them with you. Without family and friends, Thanksgiving — and really all holidays — wouldn’t be nearly as special. I’m sure many of you have participated in the Thanksgiving cliché of going around the dinner table and asking what each person is thankful for that year. So often, many of the answers are similar — thankful for family, thankful for time together, thankful for siblings. I used to think that I needed an original answer when it got to my turn. I didn’t want to say the same thing someone else had already said!

But looking back, I think those simple yet repetitive answers are some of the best things to be thankful for.

So this year, I don’t care how cliché it might be: I’m thankful for family.

Happy Thanksgiving!