At Thanksgiving, have a helping of family history
By The Herald Editorial Board
In a perfect world the biggest disagreement at Thanksgiving would be whether the cranberry sauce should be mounded simply in its serving dish or should keep its cylindrical fresh-from-the-can shape as long as possible as it is passed around the table.
We know that particular tiff is likely to be only the beginning for most gathering for the traditional annual assembly of family and friends; the range of personal opinions on politics and society served up to families rivals the variety of side dishes and desserts.
And frankly, America, the national news media — fresh from covering the recent gladiatorial impeachment hearings in Washington, D.C. — is a little worried that incivility is going to dominate the dinner table conversation this Thursday.
The Washington Post asked a Seattle-area author who’s written about kindness, Donna Cameron, for her tips on promoting courtesy during the family gathering.
“Science has determined that both incivility and kindness are contagious. Like a virus, they’re transmitted from one person to the next. … So, we have a choice of which contagion we want to spread,” she wrote.
Having recognized that, Cameron writes, it’s easier to answer a brother or aunt’s button-pushing with a calm and civil response. It does takes some effort. Cameron advises thinking ahead about your response if a family member goes on the attack, and even trying to understand what prompted a snide remark that goes beyond stating opinion.
https://www.heraldnet.com/opinion/editorial-at-thanksgiving-have-a-helping-of-family-history/
