One question that gets the whole table talking

Start with one

Every Thanksgiving there is a moment when the plates are full and the talk runs thin. Here is the question I would ask:

What is one food on this table that has a story?

Everyone has an answer. The green bean dish that nobody likes and nobody will skip. The rolls from a recipe on a stained card. The pie that only appears when Grandpa is home.

Then comes the follow-up: who made it first?

That is how a dinner turns into a story.

How to ask it

• Ask it after the first helping, when people are settled.
• Go around the table. Let anyone say "pass" and come back to them later.
• Let the oldest person go last. They will have the most to add.
• Keep a phone nearby. Record a minute or two, or jot down the line that made everyone laugh.

The printable list

Print this page and set it on the table. Anyone can pick a question.

1. What is one food on this table that has a story?
2. What is a Thanksgiving you remember from when you were small?
3. Who taught you to cook something you still make?
4. What is something you are thankful for that you didn't expect to be?
5. Who is someone not here today that you wish was at the table?
6. What was the best meal you ever had, and who were you with?
7. What is a family tradition you would never want to lose?
8. What did our house smell like on Thanksgiving morning?
9. What is a funny thing that went wrong at a holiday?
10. What is something you have learned from someone at this table?
11. Where did you spend Thanksgiving the year you were ten?
12. What is a story about this family that you hope we never forget?

A small tip for after the meal

Pick one answer you loved. Write down what was said, who said it and the date. Ten minutes while it is fresh beats a memory that blurs by Christmas.

Keep what you hear

A note on the fridge is a start. A private place where the stories, photos and voices all sit together is better. That is what EMBR Story Studio is for. When you are ready, you can join the waitlist.