One of the topics in this month’s popular and useful Family Table Time kit concerns the subject of patriotism.

There’s an old joke about a young boy who wakes up Christmas morning and, instead of gifts under the tree, finds a pile of manure. Excitedly he begins shoveling through it, telling his bewildered parents, “There’s got to be a pony in here somewhere!”

As we celebrate the various holidays clustered around this time of year, we can look around and see all the ways we’re lucky enough to have so much. Not only enough to survive—food, clothing, shelter—but enough to thrive.

If you’ve been following the news in the last few weeks, you’ve heard about the investigations into Facebook and Instagram, including their detrimental impact on pre-teens and teens.

“Parents beware—Omegle might just as well be called “Pedophiles R Us,” warned one reviewer on Commonsensemedia.org. “I found out by chance that my (just) 14-year-old daughter has been using this site. Her conversations involve guys asking her for sex and to meet her in hotels for sex.”

When children have a sense of purpose, it can help them make smarter choices when it comes to drug and alcohol use. One way to do this is to involve them in activities that let them feel they’re making a difference in the world.

“He who wished to secure the good of others has already secured his own.”

The Latin phrase, mens sana in corpore sano, means “healthy mind, healthy body.” Scholars differ about the meaning of this quote from the Roman poet Juvenal, but many take it to mean that you can’t have one without the other.

‘Tis the season for giving, the time when we rush around in a frenzy buying presents for friends and family. We also use this time to remember those who are less fortunate than ourselves, and share our good fortune by donating to various charities.

Two of this month’s Family Table Talk topics are heritage and reading, and we think they complement Thanksgiving perfectly.