Oh, yeah -- with that kind of pressure -- what can go wrong....?
But, hey -- the truth is this year MUST beat last year. A year ago, I was sick with Covid, Thanksgiving was completely canceled...and I spent most of the day in tears. John was having a really bad time, I felt shitty and was having quite the pity party. I put John in the car and we had to drive to TWO different Kwik-Star locations to find turkey dinners -- which I nuked. And, yes, that was just as miserable as it sounds....
The holidays can be brutal. I decided to go back and read my own words....this is my official annual Thanksgiving Post...Normal Rockwell was a wonderful artist who painted imaginary people...
Every family has their happy times. Birthday parties, graduations, good test scores, promotions, beautiful weddings, new babies.
Then there are the not-so-happy occasions. Kids move away. Couples get divorced and the dining room furniture is hauled off to the Goodwill. People die, they get sick, lose their jobs, or maybe their house burns down...
Every one of those things -- good or bad -- has one thing in common.
Change...
If you were having the perfect Thanksgiving....you probably would NOT be reading this blog today...So, I am going to assume that something about this day isn't going right.
You are not alone...Trust me...
If your day sucked -- if you feel lonely -- or somebody hurt your feelings -- or disappointed you...or you are dealing with a loss....well -- it's a very long line you're standing in...
Thanksgiving has become a holiday full of pressure. Norman Rockwell painted a fictional picture that no family could live up to. The people you THINK are having a better day than you are probably bored out of their minds, feeling jealous or resentful of their annoying siblings, pissed off at their ungrateful children, and have spent the entire day biting their tongues...
Chances are good they are telling you the heavily-edited Norman Rockwell-version of their day....and Facebook makes it easy to pretend everything was perfect....
If today REALLY sucked -- my advice is to write it all down. Just for yourself. It is so interesting to read these journal entries AFTER the fact. It's how I learn. Every single time. If you write it down honestly -- then go back and read it next year, maybe you can PREVENT having another meltdown, crappy Thanksgiving.
But that almost always means you must embrace...that's right...let's say it together....
CHANGE!!!
And here's the good news -- it's just ONE DAY, PEOPLE. Give it a few hours and it'll be over...
*******
And -- here's the picture I promised you, Kathy!! Thanks for the Shoefly Pie Recipe -- I still think it's the strangest thing I ever made...
It sounds like your 2020 Thanksgiving was the Worst! But...that was then, and I hope this year was SOOOO much better!!
ReplyDeleteOurs was quiet. We went to our favorite IHOP for lunch, and were greeted warmly by all three waitresses (we go there about twice a month, sometimes more--they know us!) Since we just finished three days of turkey, stuffing, etc. (I love turkey--I make it other times, too!), we had Philly cheesesteak sandwiches. They were delicious!
I talked to my brother on the phone, as well as a long-time friend; heard from other family members via FB. Not our best, but probably not our worst, either. Definitely not Rockwell's version, though! On the other hand, I'm glad I didn't have to spend three days cleaning house and baking and cooking!!
No time to visit yesterday. 13 for lunch! As usual some things went wrong, but in the end, it was a good day with family. (The corn was left in microwave until it was discovered during cleanup!) LOL Yes, change is often good in the end, but so painful at the time.
ReplyDelete