When I was growing up, Thanksgiving Day looked about the same each year. While we would alternate between my grandmother’s, aunt’s, and our home, the day would consist of similar ingredients. The grown-ups prepared our family’s beloved and so delicious cornbread dressing, plus sweet potato casserole (pecans, not marshmallows), butter beans, turkey with giblet gravy, ham, and cranberry sauce. Cousins played in the backyard before being called in to eat at the “kids’ table.” After stuffing ourselves, we would retire to the living room to talk, watch football, and fall into a post-turkey coma on the floor.
For the past ten years or so, Jason and I have been more adventurous in our Thanksgiving plans, even spending one on a major road trip and several at the beach, including this year. Yep, we have rented a house that sleeps 15 and will head to the coast with Jason’s side of the family. We will all share the kitchen and cook a big meal on Thanksgiving Day for sure, so that tradition will remain. However, the rest of our time will be spent riding bikes, walking on the beach, playing poker, and talking late into the night. There will be plenty of lively debate with this crew and an abundance of laughter!
Wouldn’t it be nice to add a little more laughter into the regular days? Kailyn Rhinehart’s article, The Power of Laughter, shares the short and long-term benefits of giggling and even smiling, plus how we can incorporate more of it into our daily lives. She even shares a list of specific ways we can laugh more with our kids!
Family time almost always means laughter, so check our 2023 Holiday Happenings Guide for fun events and activities around the River Region and beyond in November and December. You’ll find parades, Santa sightings, Christmas light tours, and much more!
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Finally, what would Thanksgiving be if we didn’t spend some time considering thankfulness? Jan Pierce offers advice for planting, watering, and reaping grateful children in Growing a Thankful Family in a Want-More World. She includes a list of Projects for Your Generous Family, so I invite you to pick one or two and let them become part of your Thanksgiving tradition this year!
I hope your November overflows with love, laughter, and grateful hearts!
