As I greeted my friends, each bearing a gift from their own kitchens, I was reminded of the Children's folktale, Stone Soup. It's a story about a group of individuals who don't have enough to eat but, when they come together as a community, bring all they have to the table to create a sumptuous stew. Our friends are like that. Each of us, with our own personalities and experiences, bring joy and support to one another.

I gazed around that night, feeling lucky to have found such a warm group of friends, and remembered the gratitude wreath my family creates each year for Thanksgiving. We build a wreath of autumn leaves, each displaying a written message about what we are thankful for. Lacking a pile of leaves, I asked my guests to grab a gourd from the centerpiece, gave them each a permanent marker, and told them to write anything that came to mind. When we were through, we filled a glass vase with the gourds and placed it between us on the table. The small pumpkin on top simply said, "Good Friends."

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About the Authors: Janell Oakes is the co-author of the award winning book, Together: Creating Family Traditions. She wants to give you the most important gift you can give your family. You can be a part of an irresistible offer available for one day only on November 17th.
The website will be posted for one day only.
http://www.TogetherCreatingFamilyTraditions.com
For a reminder email go to rondi@togetherparenting.com and type "reminder" in the subject line.
About the Author

Janell Oakes is the co-author of the award winning book, Together: Creating Family Traditions. She wants to give you the most important gift you can give your family.
You can be a part of an irresistible offer available for one day only on November 17th. The website will be posted for one day only. http://www.TogetherCreatingFamilyTraditions.com
For a reminder email go to rondi@togetherparenting.com and type "reminder"