In 1989, when I moved to California, I found myself geographically challenged and couldn’t always be with my immediate family during Thanksgiving. Out of necessity, I built a surrogate family out of a mix of colorful friends and spent many years sitting around the turkey with an exhilarating group of people. I loved this ritual because the day was filled with reflective stories about their lives. This tradition carried on until I met my husband and had my own family; although