11/21: in the middle

Hi Friends!

 

Happy Thanksgiving! We do not have class this week, but I will do a Turkey Day Walk (see, I put it in capital letters to make it seem official), if you want, from 8:30a.m. to about 9:30a.m. around the neighborhood. If anyone wants to come, we can take a pre-feast stroll. Let me know.

 

We are now getting to the middle of the holiday eating cycle, which, let's be honest, starts with Halloween, then goes to Thanksgiving, Christmas, and rounds out (pun intended) with New Year's Day. These are all largely (ahem) food-centered holidays, and we are a food-centered culture. In the midst of your holiday enjoyment of baked goods, I would like to remind you that food is just one element to the celebration. We are supposed to be coming together in the spirit of fellowship, not just to see how much pie our families and friends can collectively consume. So, should you find yourself feeling like all this eating is a chore, or conversely, that you can't stop yourself from having more prime rib, please try to take your mind off your meal for a minute and turn to whomever is seated next to you and see how they are doing. Hang out with that person, be it your spouse, your neighbor, your weird cousin, or that coworker you always meant to introduce yourself to. Now's your chance for some camaraderie. Put your fork down and really listen to them. Repeat on your other side.

 

At the end of the party, you might find that you have not consumed as much as you might have, but you are nourished much more.

 

Have a great week!

 

-meredith