This holiday season you may find yourself traveling near or far. Whichever it is for you, travel safely. Try to put aside any family discontent and enjoy each other. Be positive, kind and compassionate.

Some of the stories I’ve heard over the last month have saddened me…a man dying unexpectedly at the age of 47; a young mother in our school district passing away. She was only 40. Then yet this week, I heard of another person dying who was only 30. Life is short, so live it with gusto.

Holidays often call for gatherings of many generations of one’s family. Whether it is 2 or 3 or more generations, it is a special time to build memories. Friends have told me they sometimes host 20 or 30 people. Another friend said that her skeleton crew at Thanksgiving is at least 20 people. While my celebration will include only 5, we are happy to be together.

My mom is purchasing the ingredients for my children to make their favorite appetizers so they can have a hand in the fun. We are also going to make a special Christmas cookie recipe together that is very involved and will take many hours of the day to prepare. On that day, we will all be together, enjoying each other and probably laughing and teasing one another. I greatly look forward to this activity and the memories I hope it will create.

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Most people have a long weekend, at least 4 days off. We get to enjoy some of the best tasting foods – and sometimes ethnic food - of which lefse, a Norwegian specialty, is our special treat. What’s great about Thanksgiving is that there is the least amount of stress, as there are no gifts exchanged. It is truly just about being together and giving thanks for the many blessings we have.

So this holiday, after giving thanks for the many blessings you have, please also consider giving thanks for your health and pledge to do more to be healthy so you have more Thanksgivings and Christmases to share with your family. Eat up and enjoy!