There’s something about Thanksgiving that has always brought me a sense of happiness. It’s definitely not the 20-pound turkey, or the fact that I have to cook for 12 hours straight, feed 18 people and then clean the house for the next month to try and get it back in order before Christmas. No, it’s definitely not that. It’s something about the way people feel and act that makes me wish the holidays could last all year.

Of course when you’re a child, the holidays are the best part of the year – you get presents. But as an adult, the holidays become a lot more work. There’s the shopping, the cleaning, the cooking, the guests, more cleaning, and when it is over, you’re usually broke and your house is trashed, but despite all of that, everyone seems happy and cheerful and greets everyone with a smile.

Over the last few years, for me the holidays have become more about the way people act than anything else. I love to see my family get together and to hear everyone talking at the same time, sharing a million stories, and laughing because everyone knows to an outsider we would appear absolutely insane. (I think all families think that, or at least I hope so.)