We Gather Together

by Mary Galeti

American families have many traditions that cross religious, social, economic, and cultural boundaries. Taking time in the latter part of the year to give thanks for all we have is one of the most prevalent. Thanksgiving is a time for food, of course, but also for family (no matter how it's defined) to come together and celebrate all that we each offer to make the whole greater. Many families also take time to think about how they want to give back during this time of year. This often involves gathering around a table and having conversations (sometimes easy, sometimes hard) about where and how to give back.

Our national dialogue seems full of rancor, distrust, and impossible chasms of difference, but I hope families will find time during this Thanksgiving season to come together and explore bridges to common ground. I hope that rather than seeing conservative and progressive, they see the spirit of debate that has made this country all that it is. I hope that rather than seeing the activism of Occupy Wall Street versus the role of national security, they see a commitment to protecting the ideas that make up the fabric of our nation-more specifically, that they see the 100 percent.

I hope families commit to listening to and engaging with each other. I hope they give together in a way that embraces all that they are, with all the complexities that make family so interesting and important. Finally, I hope that the act of giving together helps families think about the change they want to see in the world, and that it involves working together towards a common goal. May we all be so lucky as to have a full and fulfilling Thanksgiving.

Mary Galeti is vice chair of the Tecovas Foundation, a member of the Council on Foundations. To learn more about having harmonious family board meetings, consider attending Fusion, the 2012 Family Philanthropy Conference, February 13-15, in Miami Beach.