Small Families / Couples / Singles / Holidays
Why Non-Traditional Thanksgivings Can Be the Best Thanksgivings
Norman Rockwell did not approve this message
When I was a kid, I loved Thanksgiving
As I matured, however, I realized I was just in love with the idea of the holiday. I was a sucker for the cozy gemütlichkeit that Norman Rockwell, Thomas Kinkade, and the Hallmark Channel portray, but found it hard to experience.
Like a lot of people out there, I don’t have the large, supportive, and convivial extended family to support this dream holiday. My family of origin has whittled itself down in recent years so that only my son and I remain — while my husband’s side of the family struggle to stay one state ahead of the many warrants sworn out against them.
“Not a problem,” I say. “Let’s invite friends over!”
That’s when we run into a brick wall
It’s called, “the entrenched plans of others.”
One couple we know who are empty-nesters and new in town would seem like the perfect people to invite over, except they spend every Thanksgiving on Cape Cod with relatives. Another set of friends spend the holiday each year in on an…
