It's Okay If Your Holidays Aren't Glamorous
This is a tough time of year for many.
As you all know, this upcoming week is the start of the holiday season, with Thanksgiving and Black Friday fast approaching. Millions of people around the country will be traveling and looking forward to seeing loved ones. But there are also many people who don’t look forward to this time of year. I wanted to write a note of encouragement and light for anyone who might be feeling that way.
When you watch holiday movies and you see festive commercials, you see those clips of happy families sitting around a dining table laughing with cheer. Maybe they’re opening presents and seem picture perfect. I’d argue this isn’t realistic for the majority of families.
For every family whose holiday might look like that, there are more families dealing with reality. Maybe they’re dealing with grief, divorce, health issues—the list goes on and on. Maybe they just don’t get along with one another (I’m sure there will be plenty of uncomfortable conversations about the state of the world).
The expectation for everyone to have those picture perfect moments can be a lot to handle. And I’m here to say: it’s okay if your holidays aren’t glamorous!
It’s okay not to have that typical Thanksgiving dinner. It’s okay to make boxed mac and cheese and call it a day. It’s okay if you want to be alone or with a few close friends. It’s okay to cry because you miss someone or you aren’t able to travel. It’s okay to make Thanksgiving and Black Friday just another Thursday and Friday.
I think taking expectations for this time of year and turning them into something unique to you can be very powerful! You can build your own traditions (and you don’t even have to refer to them as holiday traditions).
Maybe it’s making your favorite meal and watching your favorite movies. Maybe it’s spending time with your chosen family. Maybe it’s rereading your favorite book series. Maybe it’s volunteering. Maybe it’s donating a batch of stuff from your closet. Maybe it’s doing nothing special and just pushing through. These are kind of random ideas, but you see my point: you can build your own magic!
If you know someone in your life that might be struggling during this time of year, I’d encourage you to reach out and just say “I’m thankful for you.” They might not be interested in talking much right now, but just letting them know you’re there is more than enough.
I hope you all have a nice week ahead, whether you’re planning on leaning into the holiday or just taking it easy.
With love,
Fletcher Rowe
What am I listening to this week? You guessed it: the Wicked Movie Soundtrack!
I’ll be seeing the movie soon and I may end up writing a full review (I’m going to sob my eyes out, that’s for sure).
Happy Thanksgiving Fletcher! Relish your personal magic!