Alone for the Holidays

It’s Thanksgiving Day. There are many, many things for which I am grateful beyond words, but this isn’t a post about gratitude. Instead, it’s about being alone for the holidays.

The holidays can be particularly stressful for those people who believe the holiday is about what should be done, for people who can not be with family, for people who have had recent personal challenges or tragedies, and for people who feel alone.

This holiday season people I know and love are struggling with a variety of issues. As I prepared to write this week’s post, I thought of them and of past holidays where I have had struggles to overcome.

I have spent holidays mourning and struggling. I have spent holidays alone. It took years before I felt comfortable doing what I needed at those times. I know I would have appreciated a few tips during that time, so I’m offering these few to you.

If you are among those who are struggling with personal challenges or losses, remember it’s okay to feel whatever you are feeling at this time. I think Karen Mcfarland says it best: sometimes Reality Bites.

If you are alone for the first time this holiday, it’s time to be kind to yourself. Sheila Weinstein reinvented her life after the death of her husband of 50 years. While her blog is about the holidays after the loss of a loved one, it applies to anyone who needs suggestions on how to be kind to yourself at this time of year. Here she shares ten tips on how to Make Your Holiday a Good One.

Perhaps, you simply do not celebrate Thanksgiving or you have chosen to be alone. August Mclaughlin gives us some hints on learning to enjoy time alone. While her post is about writing, it can apply to anyone who needs a little Sweet Solitude.

Holidays have a lot of emotional baggage attached to them. Family traditions, co-workers, television shows, even commercials pound us with expectations for the holiday. Remember, there are no rules about this or any other holiday. You don’t have to give the holiday the power to make you feel worse in any way. The holiday is what YOU make it. Take charge of the holidays. Make it what you need it to be.

Whatever is going on in your life, my wish for you this Thanksgiving and holiday season is a moment of peace, a moment of gratitude, and a bounty of blessings.

8 comments

  1. Lovely post, Lynette…so touched to be a part of it!

    I know your insight will resonate with many. Many of us, me included, have endured challenging holidays and the ironic, pronouncing impact others’ joy and the expectation of joy can have. Thanks for your poignant wish! Wishing you well, today and always.

    1. Thanks for taking the time to comment today, August. One of the things I am grateful for is all of my WANA1011 friends. You, and all the rest, have touched me and are helping me grow as a writer and person. Thank You!

  2. Hi Lynette,

    I wanted to thank you so much for your blog love and your very nice comment on my site. If you don’t see it with the other comments on my site, it is because my theme sees you as a trackback. Don’t ask me why, I’m working on it. Just another bug to work out and I’m no teckie. lol I think maybe it’s because I have comment love as a widget and your html tag comes in with your website domain? I don’t know. Just wanted to let you know your comment was appreciated! Keep up the great work Lynette! I can learn a lot from you.

    And Lynette, I think that with everything going on these days, we need to be thankful everyday and not just on one day. Just a thought. 🙂

    1. I thought I was a teckie until I tried to set up a blog and my own website! LOL! I have no idea why I would have been seen as a trackback. Sorry, I don’t remember if I got to your site through Google Reader or through a post on Facebook, or whether I simple went to your blog.

      At the risk of sounding like Disney’s Chip and Dale, ‘No, Thank YOU! 🙂 Thanks for the comment and the retweet!

      You are absolutely right, thankfulness isn’t limited to one day. Still, I hope you had a terrific day. You sure made mine!

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