Single and Thankful

Not everyone will be making merry with a group of friends and family during the holiday season.

Some people are single, and also isolated from their friends and/or family.

Our culture imposes an expectation upon everyone to seek out others for celebrating in holiday cheer.  There is an automatic response of pity and concern if a single person is discovered alone on a holiday.

Sometimes single and alone during a holiday is not pitiable.

Sometimes single and alone during a holiday is preferable to family conflicts or drunken gatherings.

Sometimes single and alone during a holiday is refreshing and rejuvenating.

If you are single and alone during this holiday, consider your blessings.  Do not give in to the media and society's pressures and consider yourself to be pitied because you are alone.

If you view your quiet days as opportunities to spend any way you wish, with no outside pressures or obligations from anyone, what would you do? 

How would you feel knowing you have been given a gift of a free day to do anything you like, in the midst of a busy and hectic world, before you find yourself rejoining your regularly scheduled activities?

Make a list of things you want to do, but don't normally have time to do.  Is the holiday a good time to do some, or all, of these things?  Is there a book you want to read?  Is there a recipe you want to try?  Is there a room you want to organize?

If you find yourself single and alone during the holidays, give yourself the greatest gift of all:  Acceptance -- where you are right now is where you need to be.  And then make the most of your day alone!  Do things you could not do with others.  Soak in the tub.  Read a book.  Meditate.  Write a poem.

At the end of the day, you might find that the single holiday was your favorite one so far.