Good morning, Team! It’s Friday!

Am I the only one clinging onto the sentimental memory of multiple generations relatives crowding around a large table in a modest living room with the kids sitting at a wobbly card table in close enough proximity so passing the mashed potatoes still happen before they get cold?

This is the time of year we celebrate harvest, demonstrate gratitude for what we have and who we are with. (It’s also a practice that should extend 365, regardless of the type of harvest you celebrate)

My traditional Thanksgiving world has been transitioned a few times in my life and I must be getting old and grumpy like Andy Rooney, from CBS’ 60 minutes fame.

From early memories,

I enjoyed setting the table, getting out the fancy silverware and goblets, smelling the turkey in the oven and stuffing on the stove, the nuts in a silver dish with special cracking tool next to it, and peanut brittle … and the lighter mood everyone enjoyed. It was special.

I enjoyed going to Aunt Hazel and Uncle Carrold’s farmstead for dinner with so many other relatives. Excellent food and hospitality. (Definitely sat at the kids table back then)

Once married, the new family sat at a different table with different faces but maintained a strong resemblance to the traditions I had grown up with.

Fast forward 40 years-

There are a lot of new faces, a lot more considerations and a much different view of what tradition is, like:

•Whose table are we at, or is it a restaurant?

•Who is at the table? 

•Why do they prioritize being at the table? 

Most importantly,

•How do I come across to my loving wife if I am less than welcoming to every suggestion being made about what this beloved tradition transitions into next?

Ann Landers would say it’s important to set boundaries.

Coming together as a family is far more challenging and complicated today with multiple generations weighing in and trying to balance all of the things…than I recall growing up.

•I love our blended and extended families

•I enjoy spending time with them even if simultaneous gatherings have become nearly impossible

•Supporting decisions is typically easier than formulating solutions with this social calculus

We will see many of our loved ones this season but not everybody at one table for one meal. It will still be special, just maybe a little more spread out than we became accustomed to many decades ago.

However you choose to spend your time and whomever you choose to spend it with, be gentle, be open, be kind.

Have a blessed weekend and a memorable Thanksgiving!

Eric