26/11/2025
This Thankgiving. Here's some tips for nurturing Thanksgiving table time- from a bible study my wonderful cousin Mary Jo invited me to be a part of. I Love each topic and lesson of the day. This one is especially timely.
Helping Thanksgiving Conversations Thrive
A few gentle reminders for tomorrow:
• See the person first. Everyone at your table carries a story, a soul, and unseen struggles. Treat them with dignity.
• Lead with curiosity. Skip “How are you?” Ask deeper questions like “What’s been taking your focus lately?” Listen with warmth, eye contact, and zero judgment.
• Defuse, don’t debate. You don’t have to fix anyone or anything. When things get heated, ask a calm question: “What made you feel that way?” Curiosity cools the temperature fast.
Or acknowledge a person's passion on a topic that could be best saved for a later time by saying. " I see you are passionate about this, how about we dive into more a little later after dinner?" Everyone wants to feel heard, seen, supported, validated. Dismissing or rejecting a person's thoughts will just ignite the survival brain to defend.
• Invite reflection. Simple questions like “What was the best and hardest part of your year?” help people slow down and hear their own hearts.
• Play the long game. Relationships grow through kindness, patience, and gentle invitations—not pressure.
Show love. Stay curious. Keep the table peaceful. Grace does the rest. ❤️🍂
Heres a deeper dive with more insights and examples
One
Begin with the Dignity of the Person in Front of You
We live in a world collapsing in more fractured relationships. Tomorrow at Thanksgiving, many of us will sit across from people we love, people we barely know, and people with whom we have painful or strained histories. The anxiety is real.
But before anything else, remember who you are, salt and light.
