4 REAL SIMPLE NOVEMBER 2019
T A FAMILY GATHERING, I came across a photo of my late
grandfather in his Marines uniform and recalled stories my
mom told about all the countries he served in during World
War II. Then I thought about all the family dinners we’d shared over
the years and how I’d never managed to ask him about any of it. At
another gathering, I looked at the teenagers around the table, who
weren’t saying much, and wondered how I could learn more about their
lives. Even with people you know well, it can be hard to find that con-
versational spark that leads to new insights. This year, I’ve vowed to
skip the same old questions about school and work and use a tip from
our article on coaxing stories out of people (page 82): Ask them how
something works. After all, everybody likes to share their expertise,
whether it’s making pavlova or setting up a sound bar. Because while
Real Simple again brings you useful strategies and recipes, we also
focus on the most important part of the holidays: people. This month,
you’ll get readers’ tips for the happiest family gatherings (page 16) and
learn how to feel at ease in any social situation (page 67). If these are
things you’ve already mastered, congratulations! Move on to the recipes,
and do not miss the secret to delicious mashed potatoes (page 108).
However you celebrate, we hope it’s enjoyable and memorable.
A
Follow me on
Twitter @lyazel
and Instagram
@leslieyazel WA
RD
RO
BE
ST
YL
IN
G^
BY
A
LY
SS
A^
DI
NE
EN
;^ H
AI
R^
AN
D^
MA
KE
UP
B
Y^
SU
MM
ER
T
RA
N^
Photograph by Remi Pyrdol
Editor’s Note
NE
W
FIND YOUR
SHADE&
VIRT UA LLY
TRY IT ON
AT OR
SCAN NOW
GarnierUSA.com ©2019 Garnier LLC.
