2019-11-01 Real Simple

We have a saying

in our family: “If

there’s pumpkin

pie in the house,

it shall be had for

breakfast!” Every

year on the morning

after Thanksgiving,

our family of seven

piles onto one bed

and eats leftover

pumpkin pie. The

kids are all grown

now, and we still

look forward to this

tradition every year.

BARBARA HARMS

Just nod and smile.

DEBORAH GERHART,

TUCSON, ARIZONA

My secret to a

happy family gath-

ering is planning

the type of meal

and asking family

members what they

would like to bring,

well in advance.

LAURIE STAALBERG,

TEMPE, ARIZONA

Have a code

(“Look! A dolphin!”)

when the conversa-

tion drifts to a

controversial topic.

JENNY SUMMERS,

HICKORY, NORTH

CAROLINA

I always send

an invitation, not

an expectation.

All are welcome,

but also busy.

WENDY WILSON,

CANTON, MISSOURI

Creating space

for people to have

alone time between

all the togetherness

is key. This could be

a nice walk outdoors

to help digest dinner

or a brief nap.

JENNY PIEZAS,

CRANFORD, NEW JERSEY

A potluck, so

everyone feels like

a contributor and

knows there will be

something they like.

CAROLE WHITCOMB,

BURLINGTON, IOWA

A champagne

toast. Once the

family settles into

a clean home with

welcoming guest

rooms, it’s time to

savor a bottle of

champagne. Kids

get sparkling grape

juice, each couple

gets matching

flutes, and we

set the tone for a

celebratory time.

BIRGIT SACHER, SANTA

ROSA, CALIFORNIA

We joyfully tell and

retell our stories

to maintain the

connection between

siblings and have the

younger generations

understand how

we became who we

are, where we came

from, and potentially

where we’ll go.

LESLEY MOLLNER, RIO

RANCHO, NEW MEXICO A start time and

end time with an

open-house policy.

For example, “Come by anytime

between 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Stay as long or as briefly as

you like. No pressure.”

@MYTRAVELDIARY_BYHAZEL

#RSLOVE “FRIENDS DON’T LET FRIENDS

S’MORE ALONE.” @J_PIETTE

NEXT

QUESTION...

What song do you

always turn to for

comfort, and why?

Send an email

to yourwords@

realsimple.com

and let us know your

answer to this question.

Your response could

appear on these pages.

The Instagrammers
who shared the
photos on these pages
will receive our new
Holiday Calm special
edition. Want to be
considered for this
column? Tag photos on
Instagram with #rslove.

NOVEMBER 2019 REAL SIMPLE 17