A full dinner table is the cure for angry politics

A Thanksgiving with four generations under one roof left me more convinced that only leaders rooted in family, faith, and place can pull us out of this angry era.

For two wonderful days last week, our house held four generations of my family under one roof. My 7-month-old niece, my 91-year-old grandmother, and so many loved ones in between all made the trek to Charlotte for Thanksgiving.

That’s not a small thing, and I was deeply grateful to have them all there together.

We didn’t do anything dramatic, and that was exactly what made it so good. We talked about the best way to give a baby medicine and watched her absolutely demolish a sweet potato. We put up a Christmas village. We played bingo. We ate pie. I tried to spend as much time holding the baby, and as little time scrolling the news, as I possibly could.

Politics never came up. Not once.

Before the meal, my children led a blessing over the food we had prepared. It wasn’t long or elaborate, just a simple prayer of thanks for the people around the table and the chance to be together.

I can’t help but think that if more of us could anchor ourselves that way, in gratitude and in faith and in th…