In approximately one-fourth of the states, natives are a minority of the population. Locations as disparate as Florida, Nevada and Washington, D.C. may seem like temporary camping grounds with political infrastructures. Parents separate and move, and children are caught in the middle. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, one-sixth of all Americans, or about 43 million people, move each year. Of those people, about 13 million are under age 19.
Teenagers grow up and leave for distant jobs and universities.
Of course, some of us wonder what there is to be thankful about during Thanksgiving. We have become a nation of wandering minstrels and Thanksgiving seems to be designated as the feast that unites us. My family is a blended one. I wondered whether we would ever gather in genuinely joyful celebration. My husband Michael and I made blending our families a high priority.