It’s Thanksgiving, and Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful for what we have. Sometimes that can be difficult–I know. But there’s always something to be thankful about.

Thanksgiving is also a time to build memories, so let me tell you a story.

My mother and I recently went shopping at an outlet mall. We spent the night in a motel on the 2nd floor. When my mother opened the drapes, our view was the Coke machine, a snack machine, and the ice machine.

We laughed until we cried. We called it our “Room with a View.” We could have called the front desk and asked to be moved, but the new room wouldn’t have been nearly as much fun. Our Room with a View created a memory. To be honest, to us, it was the best room in the motel. We could have had a view of the swimming pool or a view of the shopping mall, but we wanted our memory.

Several years ago, I took my mother with me on a trip to France, and we stayed in a hotel right next to the Eiffel Tower. Our view was the Eiffel Tower. You can imagine the view from our window at night. I told my mother that we must be going down in the world to go from a view of the Eiffel Tower to a view of a Coke machine. That made the whole thing even funnier.

Our crazy Coke machine Room with a View is one we’ll never forget.

I travel all the time and stay in countless hotels. I rarely remember the views. They all blend together. But I will always remember those two, not just because of the views, but because of the memories.

What is the point in all of this? Try to make a memory this Thanksgiving. If you’re spending time with family or friends, really listen to them as they talk about their lives. We so seldom listen when others talk. We’re too busy gearing up for what we’re going to tell them when they’ve finished talking. Take time to listen.

Laugh! Smile! Have fun! Play with the children. Enjoy yourself. Make memories.

If you spend the day by yourself, rent some old movies you haven’t seen in years. I watched The King and I the other night, and it was fabulous. Take a walk and smile at the people you see. Wish them Happy Thanksgiving. See if they don’t respond back.

Buy a jigsaw puzzle and begin putting it together. Get involved in a movie at the same time. Go out and eat a turkey dinner at your favorite restaurant. Have a friendly conversation with the waitress. Make a memory.

It’s often not the big things in life that we remember. It’s the little things. The Room with a View.

We wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving and a day full of memories that will last a life time.

Robin

P.S. Thank you to Hilary Rinaldi for the delightful Thanksgiving hat I’ve been wearing this season. She’s got the cutest site for dog names. Be sure to visit! Happy Turkey Day, Hilary and Murphy!