Holidays with the whole family around the table won’t last forever. Show up hungry and stay late.

A full table is a temporary arrangement held together by a particular set of circumstances. People move, schedules change, and eventually the gathering happens in a different shape or not at all. Nobody is at fault for that, it is simply what happens to groups across time.

This year, be one of the people who stays after the meal rather than leaving at the first reasonable moment. The hour once everyone has eaten is where most of the good talking happens. Help with the washing up and let the evening run on.