beyond cinderella

Thanksgiving will be celebrated by the “precious few” at our house this year.

I love, love, love the holidays. I love decorating the house, cooking the food, and gathering family and friends to celebrate together.

This year, Thanksgiving at our house, will be celebrated with my husband, Bill, our daughter, Shantel, my mother, and I.

Since my daughter, Katie, is estranged from us right now, and will be unless and until she decides to make the necessary changes in her life, and attitude, that will allow her to be in a healthy family relationship with Bill, Shantel and I, she and our grandson, will not join us for Thanksgiving this year. I do so hope Katie will seek the professional help she needs and that one day she will rejoin our family.

Bill’s son, Marty, is also estranged from us at this time. He also has work to do before he can enjoy a healthy family relationship with us. We hope Marty will seek the help he needs to rejoin our family as well.

Bill’s son, Patrick and his family, and Bill’s daughter, Katie, and her family, live in Colorado and will be joining us for Christmas, but will not be able to make the trip to join us for Thanksgiving this year. It’s hard when families live so far apart, but we make the best of it.

My brother, Danny and his wife, Bea, were supposed to come and bring my mother to our house for Thanksgiving this year, but Danny forgot he and I made that plan several months ago and already accepted another invitation to Thanksgiving at Bea’s daughter’s house. I completely understand forgetting things as I’m guilty of that myself from time to time. And, they will all still come to my house for Christmas Eve, so it’s all good:)

Some people would be upset, disappointed or depressed about not having a large crowd of family and friends to celebrate the holidays with and might even decide it’s not worth the trouble to celebrate at all. But that’s not me. No, while nothing warms my heart more than to have my house filled with family and friends to celebrate the holidays, or to just celebrate getting together anytime, my happiness is not dependent on other people being able to attend. I would still celebrate the holiday’s, or any occasion, even if it were just me.

Over the years, I’ve learned happiness isn’t a product of having a crowd around you, for me, happiness comes from within and IF others are able to come around then my happiness is shared with them, but if other’s cannot come, then it’s a celebration for one, ME… What’s better than ME as a reason to celebrate?

If you find yourself alone for the holiday’s, or any day… Don’t be blue, Celebrate YOU!

Stay tuned!