Happy Thanksgiving!

I love this holiday. I love the time of year, the food, the friends, the family, the inside warmth, the football on tv, and the rest. I appreciate that not everyone has such fond associations, and that things can be a little stressful. For that we have Golda’s great tip this week.

But no matter whether you love Thanksgiving or find it stressful, I want to share one of my family traditions with you that both alleviates stress and makes you feel good about that full feeling after turkey time.

After our Thanksgiving meal we always go for our traditional post-dinner walk. It doesn’t matter where we are, how cold it is outside or how full we are. We always get up when we’re good and done with dinner, bundle up real well and go for a walk outside.

It often starts as little more than a stroll since we’re all very full and a number of us are grumbling at the prospect of walking in our very full state. However, as the stroll continues and the liveliness of our conversation picks up, so does our speed. Not by much. The tradition isn’t a post-dinner sprint, run or even jog, after all. As we get over our fullness and resistance to movement, we all start to enjoy our leisurely walk.

And it’s amazing how much better you feel when you get a nice walk in after a huge meal. Have a huge and wonderful meal, by all means, but when you’re done, consider the benefits of a nice walk and make my family tradition one of yours.

For more Thanksgiving tips, check out what Golda and Catherine have to share with us this week.

As an historian, Jay understands the degree to which our aesthetic judgments are shaped by our cultural surroundings, and he has studied and written about the importance of rights, respect and acceptance for all people.