Thanksgiving is almost upon us. It is always a stressful time — too much travel, too much food, too many people in one room, too much family… But it is also a time of memory formation — there will be moments (good and bad) that will become part of the family lore that will be retold long after everyone goes home and the dishes are finally eaten. And while horrible in the moment, disaster during times like these make up for the most interesting stories going forward: do you remember that time when Uncle Bob spilled all of the gravy on the brand new rug? High emotions make for long lasting memories. And when we retell those stories to our children, we try to turn them into teaching moments: Uncle Bob shouldn’t have been trying to carry hot server without gloves, even if he tells everyone he has asbestos fingers. Spilled gravy makes for a more memorable story than delicious gravy. It’s just how we are built — we remember the insane stories better than quiet ones. Thanksgiving is not only family togetherness time, it is also the time of college applications — double stress for all for whom this…
