Family members have been checking in with one another throughout the pandemic.
Those most in the know have had strong voices about what to do to stay safe from the viral threat.
Over time, we've come to trust those in our midst with the greatest knowledge about this, and that trust has led to our decision as a big family to have a host of intimate gatherings rather than our typical, all-in Thanksgiving dinner.
What will that look like?
It will look like small gatherings of about 3-8 people at homes throughout New England. At my own home, there will be six or seven of us.
Before arriving home, family members who are traveling have promised to take a COVID test. They are also following public health measures such as wearing masks, socially distancing, and using good hygiene routines.
Since it is a smaller crowd, we may be more creative with our food preparation and we're likely to have a great game of Scrabble, watch football games and/or good movies, and take an extra great hike.
Sometimes in our too busy, rat-race, pre-pandemic culture, we didn't make enough time for intimacy. This Thanksgiving will give us a chance to do that.