Thanksgiving this year is going to be memorable, whether we like it or not.

I noticed the other day in the New York Times food section an article about making Thanksgiving dinner for two. Who saw that coming a year ago? I certainly didn’t. Just last week, I was conducting a webcam focus group, and during the introductions, all three participants agreed that they’re not really looking forward to Turkey Day. In another group, before the conversation started, a couple of participants glumly shared thoughts on making Thanksgiving for one. This all made me a bit sad, but I can’t say it was surprising.

Almost nobody is going to have the kind of Thanksgiving in 2020 they would have wished for. The thing to remember, though, is that it also will be a Thanksgiving we’ll never forget. So, it’s up to us – being that we’re going to remember this Thanksgiving vividly no matter what – we can make the best of it or we can wallow in self-pity. Having spent a fair amount of time feeling sorry for myself this year, that’s not something I recommend.

Also, it’s important to remember that, no matter how difficult circumstances might be right now, the list of things for which we can be thankful probably hasn’t gotten much shorter.

And, here’s something of a blessing in disguise. Thanksgiving this year will afford us even more opportunities than usual to devote at least a part of the day to sharing our blessings with others. No more than 30 seconds of Google research will provide pages and pages of opportunities in your area to help those who are desperately in need. Aside from being an essential thing we should all be doing, these experiences can create precious memories that will last a lifetime.

As for your Thanksgiving dinner – whatever it turns out to be – embrace it. Eat too much. Have another slice of pie. Break open that 25-year-old bottle of port. Tell the people you love how important they are to you, whether they’re right there with you or someplace else. And talk with your mouth full. Because life is short, and time really is precious.