As we sit down to gorge ourselves with all the foods we look forward to each year, there’s always one thing we should all be thankful for: football.

Whether you are a die-hard fan, or just an every-so-often viewer, Thanksgiving and football go hand in hand.

It’s a standard to sit down and be thankful for everything we have or have been given throughout the year. For my family and I, we’re thankful to have my father home each year even though we’re military and understand his job could call him back to duty at a moment’s notice.

But for my dad, he’s always thankful for football. There’s something about watching the game while eating a giant slice of turkey that makes his day. Maybe it’s because the ship’s turkey isn’t as tasty as my mom’s, but football and turkey are two essential things to any Thanksgiving.

For this Thanksgiving, my family is a house divided. Three of our four teams play, fortunately not against each other, but it’s still going to be an interesting day. Green Bay faces Detroit first, followed by Oakland at Dallas, then Pittsburgh against Baltimore.

Luckily, all my family will have to do is determine who gets the biggest helping of mashed potatoes or pumpkin pie. But while we’re fighting over food and not a game, we’re still going to be thankful for those who entertain us and bring us together each year.

Many people have made a big stink about how we should be more thankful for our service members than football, but as a military child, I think the people that entertain my dad enough to make him forget what’s going on at his job need to be thanked too. And trust me, they are doing more than they will ever know.

I’m thankful every day that my family is able to sit around the TV and yell at a ref for a lousy call, because it’s something we can do together. Football brings us closer, even if it’s for less than 12 hours of the day. Because the moment the last game is finished, it’s out the door to stand in lines for Black Friday deals.

In the end, it’s not about the things you are thankful for, but the memories and experiences you have. Without a doubt, I know yelling at refs is far more important than a new pair of shoes. And my family really enjoys yelling at the refs.