I have a friend from New York City who started a tradition of “soup” nights at his flat. Everyone was so busy, had so many plans, places to go, people to see, (you get the picture) that traditional dinner parties sported revolving doors.  All Arthur wanted was to have people sit down and enjoy meaningful conversation & each other’s company.  Soup nights at Arthur’s are one of my fondest memories.  We would sit down around 8pm and we would leave after 3am–time disappeared as we easily shared short stories from our lives.

When I sit down for Thanksgiving this year with my parents & my husband, we’ll enjoy the food & wine, but it will be a backdrop for storytelling.  A short story has lots of details that allow the listener to “see” the experience.  It’s a lost art in some circles.  Storytelling creates an atmosphere of discovery, brings laughter, and infuses our imagination.  Just watch a young child being read a story.

I’m looking forward to encouraging story telling & laughter.  An added bonus is that those pesky differences of opinion that pop up regarding current events, politics, etc., don’t come up; because we have more important things to talk about.

*This is a page from a scrapbook I made for my Dad. (Photos from their China trip.) There’s always plenty of stories to tell!