The purpose of Thanksgiving Day is in the name itself: a day of giving thanks. But this can be tricky. Choosing one thing you are thankful for once it is your turn at the table is a great place to start, but when spending the holidays with the large Southern family of beloved distant cousins and aunts of an unknown relation, it is hard to encompass everything everyone has made you grateful for. This year, try these 3 ways to give thanks to your loved ones this Thanksgiving holiday.
Ways to Give Thanks
Make Breakfast
Even if your family enjoys a potluck Thanksgiving dinner, preparations can be stressful for your host. Offer in advance to make breakfast for everyone. It doesn’t matter if breakfast is a homemade continental breakfast with hot chocolate or bagels and coffee bought down the street, your contribution gives your family one less thing to worry about. (If your host has already made meal plans, volunteer to pick up any groceries, flowers, or even guests.)
Collect for Donations
Plan with your family how you’d like to help your community this year. It could be delivering groceries or meals to elderly neighbors, collecting and donating warm clothing everyone has outgrown, taking advantage of the holiday deals to purchase clothing, tech, and other needs to provide to families, or volunteering at a soup kitchen. And with everyone running to the grocery store in the days leading up to the feast, it’s easy for everyone to grab an extra can of soup or box of pasta to donate to local food pantries between donation peaks.
Write to Loved Ones
With friends and family sometimes scattered across the country, it can be harder to visit in person. To let your loved ones know you are thinking about them, write them letters. In today’s online world, a physical letter is a meaningful, sentimental form to express your thoughts. Let everyone know how you appreciate them, even if they cannot make it to the Thanksgiving table this year.