The Hard Facts: Time to Give Thanks

It’s Research Wednesday! Where I share the latest, or most fascinating, in the science of friendship.

“About nine-in-ten adults (89%) said they would be having a Thanksgiving meal with members of their family — and not just one or two. Among those who said they would be sharing a drumstick with family, more than six-in-ten (62%) said that ten or more relatives would be at that Thanksgiving meal — and a quarter (27%) said there would be 20 or more. Overall, the typical host would be setting places for 12 family members.” (Pew Research Center)

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, and not just because mashed potatoes are my favorite food.

It’s about family and friendship — and traveling near and far just to spend time with the people you love. In fact, 56% of drivers will travel at least 100 miles to celebrate with loved ones, while the average long-distance trip is 240 miles. (I’ll be getting on a flight from Chicago to Boston later today.)

The whole point of the holiday is gratitude, which researchers agree is almost as important as friendship. In fact, studies show that gratefulness can boost your happiness, strengthen your relationships, help you sleep, and even inspire you to stick to an exercise routine.

So this Thursday here’s a sampling of what I’m grateful for:

Great family
Fabulous friends
Three days a week of SVU marathons (I love you USA Network!)
The Cosby Show and Friends on Nick at Nite
My book club
My editor and agent
And, of course, as always…. YOU! Thanks for returning to the blog and supporting MWF Seeking BFF , the book! (Shameless self-promotional side note: It’s a great book for holiday reading. A strong reminder of how lucky we are to have BFFs…another thing to be grateful for!)