Those small groups were seen as a symbol of strength, individuality and modernity, a contrast to those messy immigrants with their sloppy spaghetti meals with all the crazy aunts and uncles. However, our individualism has now become a source of early death from diabetes, suicide, and dementia.

It’s a short skip from individualism to loneliness. And American are just lonely now, with growing levels of toxic loneliness since the pandemic. Studies show that loneliness causes more than sadness. It also shortens a person’s life span with a host of diseases.

America has a lonely problem. And the best way to solve that problem is to have tons of people over to YOUR house for Thanksgiving tomorrow. Yes, I’m making YOU solve this problem with our culture. 

Seventeen adults, one toddler, a dog, and a cat will sit around my dinner table at 4:00 tomorrow, which may be our largest crowd yet. How are we doing it? Hello to being the oldest born daughter with slight OCD tendencies. I am insanely organized. Let me share my tricks, so you, too, can solve America’s lonely problem.

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