The Holidays

Jordan2 · ‎03-16-2010

This time of year is always hard for me Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years. I am alone for the holidays, thinking of how much I miss my parents and brother. I just try to get through til the new year.

Kachina624 · ‎03-10-2010

I've been alone for many years. I don't even give much thought to holidays anymore. They're meaningless to me. I just find things to do to keep busy, don't dwell in the past. I had a wonderful family at one time but that was in another life.

New Mexico☀️Land Of Enchantment

Sooner · ‎03-10-2010

@Jordan2 wrote:
This time of year is always hard for me Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years. I am alone for the holidays, thinking of how much I miss my parents and brother. I just try to get through til the new year.

@Jordan2 I am so sorry for you and if my husband goes before me that will be me. All my family is gone, friends are dead or moved away and lost contact.

I can sympathize with your pain but of course I cannot feel it. My advice would be that as Kachina said, make the holidays also good days in your life, and do something to look forward to, and use the good cheer of the season to include you too.

Do something special, eat something you don't usually eat, and make days a little brighter, and don't focus on loss--truly be thankful today for what you had and how much they added to you and to who you are, and how much they would want you to be happier because of them. A blessing to you and to your memories, and prayers for some uplifting days ahead!

beach-mom · ‎03-09-2010

Thinking of all of you who are "coping" with this holiday.

I'm a little sad too. I've posted about the special Thanksgivings we always had with DH's family for so many years. They are no more. The hard thing is we are so far, and we were used to staying the weekend there and having fun. IDK what they do now, but we can't invite ourselves up.

My family is gone, so they are our family.

We always spent Thanksgiving with them because it was a big deal. The one year we spent with my family was the year we moved back east from Texas. We went to my mom's for the weekend and my one uncle and two of my cousins came up from Virginia. My one cousin (divorced) loved to cook. He came up with some interesting recipes. He made the turkey, and I helped him.

Mom had already made some dishes.

We said goodbye to her on Sunday, and the week following was a nightmare. She went into the hospital with what they thought was a UTI. I went down with my baby, and she died the next morning from septic shock syndrome. DH and DD came down that day. We got her cat, and some Christmas toys we found in a box, locked up the house, and drove back home for a few days.

I'm so glad we spent that time with her.

So if I were to give anyone who is struggling advice I would say do whatever you want. I took a long nap with 2 of our kitties, woke up and watched Christmas with the Kranks, with commercials. DH watched football.

I have a lot of single friends. Most are getting together with other friends this weekend.

Part of "Splendour in the Grass" by William Wordsworth

"Though nothing can bring back the hour

Of splendour in the grass, of glory in the flower

We will grieve not, rather find

Strength in what remains behind..."

I will be thinking of you this holiday season.

Desertdi · ‎03-13-2010

@Kachina624

I have a few shirt-tail relatives who live on the East Coast. They must watch a lot of John Wayne movies, because they "think" Arizona is a desolate place that they wouldn't set foot in. Thank heaven.... di

♥Surface of the Sun♥

AngelPuppy1 · ‎03-13-2010

@Jordan2

I know holidays must be difficult. My husband and I are thankful we have each other. We have no other relatives to share the holidays with, so if something happens to one of us, we will be alone as well. Yesterday we were talking about how much we missed sharing thanksgiving with our mothers and a few family members. Mostly, our mothers.

"A day without sunshine is like, you know, night." - Steve Martin

Imaoldhippie · ‎06-10-2015

Ha ha, lol. Dont blame you one bit.

LIFE IS TO SHORT TOO FOLD FITTED SHEETS

CalminHeart · ‎03-09-2010

@Jordan2 wrote:
This time of year is always hard for me Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years. I am alone for the holidays, thinking of how much I miss my parents and brother. I just try to get through til the new year.

I'm in the same situation. I lost 5 immediate family members in a 14 month period 2023-2024 and it's strange to not have them around.

Teddixat · ‎10-04-2010

@CalminHeart Oh my goodness, That is so tragic. So sorry for your losses

Meowingkitty · ‎06-19-2010

@Desertdi wrote:
@Kachina624

I have a few shirt-tail relatives who live on the East Coast. They must watch a lot of John Wayne movies, because they "think" Arizona is a desolate place that they wouldn't set foot in. Thank heaven.... di

That's why my parents moved from Ohio in the late 50's to Arizona was to get away from the relatives. It worked. They only came out for my dads funeral in 1966 and never saw them again.