Thanksgiving Harmony, Thanksgiving Hominy

The drama has a way of escalating exponentially.

It's amazing how quickly a family gathering can go from harmony to discord, even during Thanksgiving. I don't think it has anything to do with tryptophan, but it can be fueled by alcohol and stoked by misunderstanding. Conflicting political views rarely help. Unnecessarily high expectations can definitely be blamed.

Many of us put so much pressure on ourselves and each other to achieve some sort of mythical ideal experience that it often ends up being anything but. Thanksgiving is simply supposed to be a time to, as the name suggests, give thanks for all of the blessings in our lives. Those should include the other people sitting at the dinner table. It's not about making sure that the napkins complement the tablecloth.

Relax. Avoid drama. Enjoy each other's company. Listen closely and speak kindly to one another. Celebrate the good stuff, offer comfort over the hard stuff. Cherish the time you have together and talk about ways to make it happen more often. Those are your people and life gets shorter every day.

One way we've made good holiday memories in my family is by cooking together. As busy as my wife and I are the other 364 days of the year, I truly look forward to the couple of hours we spend together in the kitchen on Thanksgiving Day. Our sons are old enough to help now, too.

I hope you and your family have a happy, healthy, and harmonious holiday season. I won't be able to bring a covered dish to your Thanksgiving celebration, but I can share a recipe for a tasty side dish: Pumpkin-Sage Cheese Grits. Think of it as a little hominy to go with your harmony. Just promise to make it with at least one other person.