As we approach Thanksgiving, I’m looking forward to another great day with family.

Most of my family is back east in the New Jersey area, so I won’t get to see them this year. But over the past 10-plus years, my wife Rita and I have invited her three kids and grandkids to spend Thanksgiving with us.

They all lived in Minnesota until one of her sons and his family moved to Florida a few years ago. So our gathering will be a bit smaller this time.

A few years back when we lived in a smaller house in St. Cloud, it got a bit crowded around the dining table. I think we had about 11 people then. We set up a few card tables to make sure everyone had a place to sit and enjoy their meal.

Since we moved back to the farm, there’s plenty of room for everyone. We have a big dining room table, another round kitchen table that seats four, and a big coffee table in the living room, so finding space isn’t a problem.      

The only issue this year was figuring out who could attend. Both kids have in-laws who have also invited them for Thanksgiving.

No problem.

Rita and I are pretty flexible when it comes to family gatherings. Over the years we’ve learned to adapt so her kids don’t have to choose between our house and somewhere else. There shouldn’t be a competition.

I think a lot of families fight over who goes where on Holiday gatherings. That ruins the spirit of the Holiday and causes tension between relatives.

Our solution: we’ll have our Thanksgiving on the next day. Everyone has off from work that Friday. And the only commitment anyone might have is Black Friday shopping. I’m sure they could still shop later that evening.

Since the weather in late November can be unpredictable, we shopped early and already have everything we need to prepare the meal, including a selection of pies, cake and ice cream for dessert.

This year, if weather permits, we plan to invite everyone on a walk through our woods. It’s something we’ve considered before, but it never materialized. I think overdoing it at the dinner table might be the reason no one felt like a long walk.

But if having too much to eat is our biggest problem, it proves that we have plenty to be thankful for.

Happy Thanksgiving!