I'll be away next week after Tuesday, so I'm sending you this special issue with an offer of a complimentary gift of a "Better Family Conversation Kit" as my way of thanking you loyal subscribers for reading and recommending my "Better Conversations" newsletter.

(See simple instructions for how to obtain the kit at the end of this article.)

The upcoming holiday, "Better Conversation Week" begins its 10th year on Monday, Nov.19, 2012. (In case this escaped your notice, you can read about BCW in Chase's Calendar of Events 2012 at your library's reference section.)

Here's next week's early issue with suggestions for having meaningful conversations at Thanksgiving or other family gatherings.

4 Thanksgiving Conversations to Have

When you get together as family and friends for Thanksgiving, you are so busy that you may not make room for talk. Hustle and bustle in the kitchen can be exciting but hardly allows for deeper talk.

Here are 4 conversations to consider having this Thanksgiving:

1. Make time for a walk with an elder for a slower, less hectic quality talk. Or draw aside an elder, perhaps an aunt or uncle, for a rich conversation. Ask them about most memorable Thanksgivings of times past. Ask them about their lives. Show real interest.

2. Phone someone you've needed to thank for their friendship and support. A teacher? A pastor? A coach? An old friend? Perhaps in a quieter time during Thanksgiving week you'll think of various persons who have known you and helped you.

My longtime friend Professor Sheron Dailey sent me this quotation:

"A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words." (Anonymous)

Take time to contact such an old friend and thank that person.

3. Circle the family for story-sharing. Set aside an hour that allows your family or friends to share stories of their lives. You can record these if you wish and send the CDs or DVDs to those who couldn't attend your gathering.

Or, to set the tone for the gathering, bring your guests together and with one person acting as a scribe, ask everyone to mention what they're thankful for this year. Use a flip-chart or a white board to list their items. You may get hundreds of gratitude items in a half-hour.

4. Record your elders for posterity. With an audio recorder or a camcorder, you can easily record your elders one at a time in the manner perfected by Storycorps.org. You can find many intriguing questions at the Story Corps site. Then, for example, you can find a quiet, private place to turn on the recording equipment and ask questions that draw out many interesting stories.

I've often had people tell me regrets like this: "I wish I'd asked my grandfather about his experience emigrating to the U. S. from Latvia. Now he's gone, and I'll never know." You can avoid those regrets by recording these interviews at your family gatherings.

Best wishes to you all for a warm and grateful Thanksgiving!

Obtain Your "Better Family Conversation Kit"

To receive a complimentary (free) "Better Family Conversation Kit," simply request it from

me, loren@conversationmatters.com no later than Tuesday, November 20, 1 p.m. (1300) Pacific Standard Time with "Better Conversation Kit" in the subject line.

Note: Although this kit was first created to enhance family conversations during

Thanksgiving Week in the U. S., many of its ideas can be used for gatherings of family or friends in other countries. This offer is not restricted to U. S. subscribers and is extended to my readers in any of the 82 countries in which they reside

Loren Ekroth ©2012, all rights reserved

Loren Ekroth, Ph.D. is a specialist in human communication and a national expert on conversation for business and social life.