You haven’t even met all of the people you’re going to love.

Thoughts on hope, family, and gathering people around a table

One thing I love about my family is that you never know who’s going to be part of it this year. Growing up, my mom and her siblings were always encouraged by their mom to invite friends to Thanksgiving if they needed somewhere to go — and that’s a tradition we carry on to this day.

Whether it’s the Fourth of July, a family worship night, a New Year’s get-together, or Thanksgiving, we always like to have a few extra friends. I live a life of extra cousins, bonus aunts and uncles, and dozens of who I’d call my “besties.”

This year, we’ll have about thirty people at our family Thanksgiving. Three generations will get together to share a meal and quality time. Many of the people in attendance are people we didn’t know a few years ago. This will be my stepdad’s second Thanksgiving with us, my fiancé’s second Thanksgiving, and a first for one of my college friends.

I’ve known her for three months…and now she’s practically a cousin.

Whether it be a significant other, a new in-law, or a new family member through adoption, birth, or marriage, I love the simple truth behind it all. I remind myself of this truth year in and year out as I look at my…