A Different Perspective on Family and Thanksgiving Dinner

How many of you are gathering with family members for Thanksgiving this week? How many of you have concerns about family dynamics, possible political discussions, and other potential pitfalls of gathering for what’s supposed to be a festive celebration of harvest abundance? For all who might be worrying about the impending holiday, here’s a different perspective on preparing for the day.

Back in September, I had a fascinating post-breakfast conversation with my mom. We were talking about my work, and I explained how I had become somewhat of a project manager on a particular writer coaching/book editing job. She said, “Oh, I think that runs in the family!” She then went on to explain how my niece had chosen to shift from work in the legal research field to business (she’s getting her MBA) because she enjoyed the opportunity to coordinate tasks and work with people to keep projects on track.

Then she told a new-to-me family story about how my brother had been chosen for a one-year high school international exchange program. Evidently, in a discussion amongst the candidates, my brother had been the one, when the conversation veered off track, to bring the group back to the topic. He showed inherent leadership skills.

As I think about my dozen years of working as a solopreneur and the fact that my sister is also a successful business owner (on a larger scale), I sense that the idea of project management running in the family makes sense. And it reminds me of another family story.

One year, when my parents were on a tour, some members of the group held an impromptu awards ceremony for participants. Dad got the “photographer” award, and Mom got the “director” award. As I pointed out to Mom, “director” is just another word for “project manager”—and I’m certainly grateful for those genes!

I’m grateful for my dad’s genetic inheritance too. I certainly got a love of photography from him (witness my daily Instagram posts!), and his scientific curiosity manifests in me as the ability to ask open-ended questions of people who see me for spiritual guidance.

So, here’s an invitation—or assignment?—for you, as you prepare to gather with family—or anyone you care about!—for Thanksgiving. Prayerfully consider what types of intellectual and creative inheritance you have. What gifts, and the stories about them, run in your family? What would it be like to focus this Thanksgiving on those things which tie you together in life-giving ways? How might this transform your perspective on Thanksgiving dinner and help you to concentrate on giving thanks?