My mother-in-law told me to get up at 4 a.m. to cook Thanksgiving dinner for her 30 guests. My husband added, “This time, remember to make everything really perfect!” I smiled and replied, “Of course.” At 3 a.m., I took my suitcase to the airport. – usnews 0/2

For a moment, I lay there in the darkness, and a strange thought crossed my mind. What would happen if I just didn’t get up? What if I stayed in bed and let the alarm ring? What if thirty-two people showed up to an empty table and had to figure out their own dinner for once?

The thought was so foreign, so completely counter to everything I’d been conditioned to do, that it almost made me laugh. Almost.

But then I imagined Vivien’s face when she arrived to chaos instead of perfection. I imagined Hudson’s confusion when he realized I wasn’t going to fix everything like I always did. I imagined thirty-two people who had made no alternative plans, who had brought nothing to contribute, standing around looking at each other.

And for the first time in years, I felt something other than dread about a family gathering. I felt curious.