being thankful

Make sure that your family meals, and other gatherings too, include time for being thankful.

Any meal can be a Thanksgiving dinner...turkey optional (but it helps).

RODALE NEWS, LENOX, MA—I love Thanksgiving. I'd like us to celebrate it more often. Sure, I know the holiday can be over-the-top stressful, with too much to prepare, too much to eat and drink, too many people, and too much to clean up. If you observe Black Friday, we might add too much shopping to the list. But there's an essential sacredness to the event that brings us together, and I wish we could experience that all the time. Because being thankful shouldn't be a once-a-year occurance.

THE DETAILS: For the Pilgrims who celebrated Thanksgiving in 1621, it was a time to express gratitude for the gift of being alive. The year before, more than half of their group perished from starvation and illness. When they were able to produce a harvest that would sustain them through the harsh New England winter, they celebrated and gave thanks. They thanked the Wampanoag people, who showed them how to plant corn and tap maple trees to make syrup, whose generosity helped them to survive.
In the spirit of the season, I'd like to share my favorite Thanksgiving recipe, which actually can be served anytime. It's not a recipe for turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, or pumpkin pie (although I admit I look forward to all of those). It's a recipe for reflection, for being thankful, and like Thanksgiving dinner, it's best enjoyed in the company of people you care about.

This recipe calls for a moment to reflect with your friends and family on your life together. The main ingredient is gratitude, combined with an appreciation for the loving connections you have with one another. It involves creating a sacred space at the table in which everyone present can share something they are grateful for. If this is already part of your family tradition, be grateful for that.