In today’s America, society is centered around family life. A byproduct of Cold War propaganda, this focus on family was a concerted effort by powerful forces in entertainment, education and government entities to indoctrinate the nation against dangerous ideologies. While these entities have stopped pushing this agenda in recent decades, the family remains a central part of the landscape of modern American life.
For people who aren’t able to spend time with their relatives, things can be a bit difficult due to this obsession with family ties. There are any number of reasons you might not be able to see your family often or at all. It could be that you’re estranged from your parents, or live too far to visit them, or, perhaps, you just don’t enjoy spending time with them.
Whatever the reason you don’t spend time with your family, Holidays like Christmas and Thanksgiving can be very emotionally taxing because of the stigma of being alone. People expect you to spend Thanksgiving with your family, and if your family isn’t in the picture, you may find yourself all alone on Thanksgiving or Christmas.
If you’re in this predicament, don’t worry! Everyone has been there once or twice, and there’s no shame in spending the Holiday season alone. In fact, with a grateful attitude and the help of the handy tips we’re going to be sharing below, you might just be able to have the best Thanksgiving celebration yet!
Being alone vs. being lonely
At one time or another, most of us have been in a situation where we felt like we were all alone. Without your family, it can feel like it’s you against the world. When Thanksgiving rolls around, this feeling can become overwhelming. But don’t fret; we’re here to tell you that a holiday spent away from your parents can be a good thing!
Family gatherings can be fun, sure. The stories, the inside jokes and the heartfelt conversations can be uplifting during this time of festivity, brightening up your entire year with cheer and goodwill. But there are benefits to spending time apart from your family as well. A restful holiday spent alone can be just as invigorating as one spent with family!
There is a distinct difference between being alone and being lonely, and it all comes down to your outlook. Everyone will be alone now and again; but it’s your choice whether you let that get you down, or take initiative to make this your best Thanksgiving yet!
Thanksgiving away from the family
If you adopt a positive attitude and outlook, you can have a great Thanksgiving without the family around. There are plenty of creative ideas to make this Thanksgiving special and have a great time while you’re at it. From cooking yourself a one person Thanksgiving dinner to finding someone in your predicament and making the most of the situation, there are plenty of ideas to try!
Find someone to celebrate with
You might be a bit disheartened at the prospect of spending Thanksgiving by yourself. That’s ok; but what if you didn’t have to? Sure, your family might be out of the picture for one reason or another, but you could try something else: finding someone else in the same situation as you, and spending Thanksgiving with a new friend!
If you live in any mid-sized or large city, chances are there’s a person or two going through the same thing as you. Find someone like this, and you might immeasurably improve your Thanksgiving and make a new friend. In spending Thanksgiving this way, you’ll be taking your mind off the absence of your family and focusing on having a good time.
Or, maybe the right person was there all along! Ask around; perhaps one of your friends isn’t going to visit family this year, for whatever reason. Invite them to spend Thanksgiving with you, and your holiday will go from zero to one hundred just like that!
Make yourself a festive dinner
One of the things you miss the most when spending Thanksgiving alone is the food. Let’s face it; the thought of a dinner table covered in a dozen different types of savory dishes is all that keeps some of us coming home for the holidays. But what if there was a way to bypass the family and get that delicious meal all to yourself?
Allow us to suggest a one-person Thanksgiving dinner! Depending on how much work you’re willing to put in, there are two options when it comes to having your own Thanksgiving meal. You could order it, or you could make it yourself. If you’re not in the mood to cook, go for option one; if you’re up for a challenge, option two!
Regardless of how you get your hands on it, having a nice dinner on Thanksgiving can cheer things up and make your home feel more festive. And, if you combine this with the previous tip on our list, you can have a great time indeed!
Help others
Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful for what we have and to share with those that have less than we do. The holiday itself began when benevolent Native Americans came to the aid of starving European settlers who could not adequately provide food for themselves. The Native Americans generously shared their crops, and the settlers were saved.
This Thanksgiving, there’s no better way to honor that tradition of generosity than by donating your time to helping the less fortunate via a community outreach program or charity. Even in a country as developed as ours, there are still plenty of people who have been dealt a hard hand in life, and are at the mercy of forces outside of their control.
There are charities and community outreach programs in most cities across the country that use Thanksgiving as a time to reach out to these downtrodden souls and help them see that they are loved. Some sort and distribute donated clothing; others dish out hot Thanksgiving dinners, free of charge. However you help these less fortunate members of your community, you won’t regret it: we promise.
Get in touch with yourself
The most important part of spending time alone this Thanksgiving is coming to terms with the fact that you don’t need anyone in order to be happy. Yes, family and friends can ease burdens and make things a bit brighter from time to time, but true happiness comes from within you. By accepting and internalizing this fact, you have the ability to transform any situation into a happy one.
There are several ways in which you can do this. An excellent place to start is by spending some time meditating to put your mind and body at peace. This will help you quiet all the distractions and misgivings you may have swirling around you and focus on being thankful for the wealth of things you have to be grateful for.
You could also continue your journey towards inner peace by practicing mindfulness. Mindfulness is not incredibly complicated; it’s simply the act of focusing on your immediate surroundings without viewing them through an interpretive filter. Try to change your perspective, and embrace your circumstances rather than fighting them.
Conclusion
With everyone visiting family over the holidays, it’s easy to fall into a gloomy, unhappy state if you aren’t able or willing to spend your holidays with family. This doesn’t have to be the case, though; with the help of these tips, we hope you’ll have a fun and genuinely grateful Thanksgiving holiday. Everyone is alone at one point or another; what matters is how you approach the situation!
Of course, if you feel that your best option is to get back in touch with your family, then you can also do that. A great way to do that is by buying a home closer to home! By finding a real estate agent in the area your family is located in, you’ll be able to see what your options are regarding moving back and getting back in touch with your family.
It’s important to remember that there is nothing wrong with spending this time away from your family. Whatever is keeping you from being home for the holidays, it’s up to you to make this Thanksgiving one for the ages. From all of us here at RealEstateAgent.com, we wish you a happy Thanksgiving!
Did you enjoy this article? Want to leave some feedback or ask a question? Then leave us a comment in the comments section below! We do our best to respond to each and every comment we receive, and yours is no exception. We’ll get back to you promptly with a concise and helpful reply!
Thanksgiving is a good idea to do always to have a good bond and thanks for sharing this information with us.
Thank you for your feedback, Mike! I agree, and since we are celebrating an unusual Thanksgiving this year with all the social distancing measures, it is time to be creative and come up with some out-of-the-box ideas to celebrate.