The Baywatch actor, 45, shared a photo of himself with his family on Friday, enjoying a day filled with love and food — and revealing that his family wasn’t always so fortunate.
The star wrote a heartfelt caption under the photo, writing about his past experiences during the holidays, but not before sharing a few jokes.
“After we bowed our heads in prayer, we went around the table and everyone shared what they were thankful for,” he wrote. “Beautiful seeing and listening to everyone speak from their heart. Tears, laughter and boundless gratitude.”
“Personally, I’m a little surprised no one expressed how thankful they were that THE Sexiest Man Alive (I refuse to relinquish my title) was sitting at the table,” Johnson joked. “I didn’t want to be a d**k and interrupt the prayer, but at some point someones gotta address the elephant in the room.”
He continued, “Jokes aside, it was a very special Thanksgiving. As my mom pointed out earlier in the day, there was a time back in ‘87 when we couldn’t even afford Thanksgiving dinner and was praying someone would invite us over their house to eat. We were in a tough spot back then, but we got thru it. And here we are today. One big, extended, blended, slightly crazy, loving, grateful ohana. #sib 🥁.”
Johnson, who was born in 1972, would have been 15-years-old in 1987. While his childhood was full of struggle, the former WWE wrestler made a name for himself in the sport, and followed that success with a series of hit films — turning himself from wrestling champion to earning a spot in Hollywood’s A-list.
Since his massive success in the film industry, Johnson has made a point of giving back, spreading good deeds to those in need, including becoming “Dwanta Claus” for a big day of gift-giving to Make-a-Wish kids and supporting a terminally ill grandmother with a sweet video message.
This article originally appeared on PEOPLE