My mom used to try to jumpstart little traditions for Thanksgiving when I was a kid. For a few years we would invite people without family to come join us, even though we barely knew them. It was fun to have new faces with us for the holiday. The other one I remember clearly was that my mom would hand out kernels of unpopped popcorn, and we would take turns putting the kernels in the middle of the table, sharing one thing we were thankful for with each kernel. We’d go around the table, taking turns talking about the good things in our lives.
It’s a good practice, trying to turn our attention toward thankfulness. When my family lived overseas, it could be hard to remember to be thankful. The holidays were a time you missed your friends and family back home, when it seemed like there were eight or nine empty chairs for every full one. The parade didn’t come on television. You couldn’t buy turkey in the store, or cranberry sauce, or stuffing, or any number of traditional American foods.
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