I am blessed. 

My family is small, and everyone is (relatively) close-by. An hour’s drive connects us with embraces and smiling faces. 

This Thanksgiving, we will all gather at my home for the first time in 24 years. The smell of roasted turkey will fill the house, the table will be set with candles in the center, and warmth will welcome all enter.

There will be much to do, from cleaning to cooking to cleaning again. There will be shoveling should it snow. I’ll get out the china (I love to use china) and set the table with our family silver. We’ll hustle and bustle over the next couple of days into Thanksgiving.

But once dinner is all set, my gift to my family will be my presence.

My phone will be set upstairs on silent. The TV will be turned off – no one likes football but me, so it’s not much of a sacrifice. Music will play low enough to hear each other speak, but loud enough to spark conversation. Once we’ve eaten and the table is cleared, the dishes will sit and wait – they’re patient that way – while I soak up time with my children, my Nana, my cousin and dear friends. The world will be locked outside, and my home will be a haven for building memories.

This Thanksgiving, I hope you plan time to unplug from the world and show your loved ones how much you care by gifting them with your presence. It may very well be your best Thanksgiving yet.

Bless and be blessed.