What makes your holidays happy or fall apart, whether it is the kids coming home from college, being newly divorced, recent losses, being with one friend, or solo, newly married, first time parents, grandparents, challenged with illness, well the list is long, is that you remind yourself that you are good enough.
– Good at serving the gravy, even though it is a little lumpy this year.
– Good at feeling left out when all the attention heads to the sofa and you are sitting on the stool.
– Good at crying for what isn’t happening this year.
– Good at loving your stuffing so much that you eat three scoops and pass on putting turkey on your plate.
– Good at being awkward because you don’t feel, “at home,” with this gathering.
– Good at expecting someone to say something awesome about you even though you know those expectations doom you into disappointment.
– Good at having to tell the host you are vegan even when they roll their eyes, so you bring your own plate of food and label it, “vegan.”
– Good at being angry that your X has a new partner and you don’t and he has the kids this year.
– Good at clicking the camera because you love Facebook.
– Good at “faking it” because it is the right thing to be ok with your son spending the holidays with his girlfriend’s family and not you. Yes, he gets to lead now. He is an adult. You get to not really like sharing and have to do it anyhow.
– Good at being tearful because this is the last family gathering with the grandparents around the table. Raising your glass to toast the elders you will always honor.
– Good at being the only one overweight in the room and still having yams, “just a bit of yams, thanks.”
– Good at honestly and deeply being grateful that you are here and your life, as it is right now, is good enough. You are enough. So if you fall during the holidays, you know how to get back up and remind yourself, that you are doing the best you can right now and you are a very loving person, even with a skinned knee and puffy eyes.
May you enjoy what makes you happy at your Thanksgiving Holiday and surprise someone with the gratitude you feel for them being in your life. You just can’t say it enough, I APPRECIATE YOU BEING SO……. With ME.
Take good care,
Natalie
Natalie Caine M.A.
Life In Transition, What’s Next?
Empty Nest Support Services
(800) 446-3310 or (310) 454-0040
Los Angeles
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