The holidays usually bring on a sense of malaise from too much food, the excitement of having family around and hours of football.

But here’s an idea for rising above the moans and groans of the onset of the holiday. StoryCorps has suggested that while families are together this holiday they sit down together and talk about their lives. StoryCorps call this day — Black Friday — a National Day of Listening.

StoryCorps is a nonprofit that preserves the stories of ordinary people. You’ve probably heard some of those stories on public radio in the mornings.

Think about it. Did your grandmother really milk a cow and churn butter? What about that tornado that raked through the area many years ago? Did people reach out and help one another? What happened?

Kathryn Tucker Windham, Selma’s world renown storyteller, has often pointed out the importance of listening to one another.

Well, here’s our chance. Sit down with someone and talk to someone close to you. Ask about your family or your community. Listen. Get their perspective on events from the past. Learn about their lives, their hopes, their dreams and even their regrets.

We’ll all be richer for learning of the experiences.