Tuesday Thoughts And Your Thanksgiving Table

Isabelle
Nov 25
3 min read

Hi Friends,

I trust you were challenged to ask your friends and family for the long version of how they are.

We Need Each Other

Thanksgiving has a way of shining a spotlight on our connections—sometimes in the best ways, and sometimes in ways that make us want to hide in the pantry with a slice of pumpkin pie. The truth is simple: we need each other, even when relationships feel messy, complicated, or stretched thin. Especially then.

As humans, we don’t thrive in isolation. We’re wired for belonging. Holidays make that longing louder—not because we’re sentimental, but because we’re honest enough to admit that being seen and supported actually matters.

And the science backs this up. Research from Harvard’s decades-long study on human happiness, along with work in neuroscience, shows that strong relationships are the number one predictor of long-term well-being, resilience, and even physical health. Connection lowers stress, improves immune function, increases emotional stability, and literally helps us live longer. Isolation does the opposite. It wears down the body and mind. So when we say we need each other, it isn’t poetic—it’s biological reality.

And yet… family gatherings can be a mixed bag.

They can be tense.They can be joyful.They can be healing.They can be a minefield.They can be all of the above—sometimes in the same afternoon.

Family Doesn’t Look One Way

Nobody walks into Thanksgiving with a picture-perfect Hallmark family. Everybody carries their own dynamic, their own history, their own “please don’t start that topic” list. And everyone hopes, in their own way, to feel loved.

Here are a few snapshots that capture the wide range of family realities:The Single Mom

She’s doing Thanksgiving with a blend of exhaustion and fierce pride. She’s juggling the meal, the emotions, and the desire to create warmth for her kids. She wonders if it’s enough—then sees her children laughing and realizes she’s building memories that will become their anchor.

The Divorced Family

Two households. Two traditions. Two sets of expectations. Sometimes the transitions are smooth; sometimes they’re draining. Whether it’s the first year or the tenth, there’s always a tug between what once was and what now is. And still, everyone is trying to adjust, trying to grow, trying to find peace in the new shape of their family.

The Long-Married Couple

They’ve hosted for years. They know the rhythms: who carves the turkey, who forgets the rolls, who tells the same story every year. Their relationship isn’t flawless, but it’s steady. Their home becomes the haven where everyone else lands, because they’ve learned how to hold space for all the different personalities that gather.

Families With Teenagers

Someone is irritated. Someone doesn’t want to talk. Someone is glued to their phone like it's a life-support system. And still—they show up. Teens may not always express it, but they feel the comfort of familiar smells, familiar voices, and the security of people who love them through the awkwardness.

Families With Grown Kids

They come home with new stories, new plans, and new identities. The table feels the same, but the people have evolved. Grown children bring insights, boundaries, and sometimes wounds. Yet the laughter, when it comes, still bridges the years as if no time has passed.

Families With Grandkids

It’s joyful chaos. Someone is crying, someone is coloring, someone is spilling juice, and someone is proudly showing off a glitter-covered craft. Grandparents look around and soak it in, aware of how precious and fleeting these seasons are.

Underneath It All: We Still Need Each Other

Thanksgiving isn’t about perfection. It’s about connection. It’s about showing up, even when the relationships are complex. It’s about the courage to stay open-hearted in rooms full of history. And it’s about remembering that support and belonging are not luxuries—they’re survival tools.

Whether your table seats two or twenty, the message is the same:

You matter. They matter. And we need each other.

This Thanksgiving, let’s drop the pressure to be perfect and simply choose connection—messy, real, human connection—because that’s what actually keeps us going.

PS: Message me for a free consult to start moving toward a more confident you.

You are loved. Deeply loved. Loved beyond measure.

Until next time,

Isabelle