Alone Can Be Good

Well, we did get some snow yesterday - a really nice amount - but at the end of the day, the dreaded and annoying "wintry mix" moved in for the hours of overnight, so though we have snow on the ground, it's icy, packed snow.  Which is fine for a one-horse open sleigh perhaps, but not much else.  Oh well, it's pretty to look at, and at least other than taking the dog for a walk, I don't have anywhere else to be, at least not today.

I thought I'd write a post for today's Three on Thursday, and my topic is Three Things That Are Good About Just Being Two People At Christmas in This Unprecedented Year.  (And after this year, if I never hear the words "unprecedented year" again, I shall not mind one single tiny bit.)

Anyway, moving along.  I know that tons of people are upset because - if they are being responsible humans and care about others - they have to things differently this year.  No getting together with friends and family, or traveling to see them, no gatherings to exchange and open gifts, etc.  They are on their own, with only their families in the same house with them.  Which for a large part of the population, is just not what Christmas is about.

I am here to tell you (as I have before) that Christmastime is exactly what you make it.  Do I ever wish that we could go back to the years that we traveled home for holidays every year, got to see and catch up with everyone in person, and enjoyed all of the anticipation that went along with it?  Sure.  I enjoy seeing my family and spending time with them.  The Tim does not miss seeing his family, now that his parents have both died.  The siblings are not that close, and so we don't spend much time interacting with them anyway.  

But years ago, we realized that due to job issues for one or both of us, it just wasn't going to happen.  And though it was kinda weird the first year, now we love our very own Christmases, and actually cling to them.  Last month, in the weekend after Thanksgiving, we had a Zoom with my niece Amanda and her husband Pat in Baltimore.  Their original plan was to go to my sister's in WV for turkey day, since everyone would be getting together there this year.  But due to Covid, everyone just stayed put where they were.  Well, Amanda and Pat at least loved it!  As she said, "You know I love them all, but it was nice to enjoy the day and have NO drama!"  😊

And so, let me tell you three things that can make Christmas a wonderful day when there are just the two of you and whatever family members live in your house (in our case, a dog and two cats):

1.  The whole entire day belongs to YOU.  If you want to have candy for breakfast, there's no one to be upset, or no one to say, "But so-and-so is eating candy for breakfast, so why can't I?" which can lead to dirty looks from parents or anyone else around.  Feel like taking a nap in the middle of opening gifts?  Do it, and you can finish when you get up, while the other person does their thing for a while.  Unless you follow a strict daily schedule where every person always has to do a certain thing at a certain time, it's all up to you.

2.  You can still get together with everyone, just virtually, and at a mutually agreed time.  If you are a person who usually sleeps late, there's no requirement to get up at 5 a.m. with the rest of the family and immediately interact while everyone opens gifts together.  Instead, you can say, "Why don't we Zoom/Facetime/whatever at ____ [an agreed time]?"  

3.  Christmas Dinner is EXACTLY what you would like to eat, at the time of day you want to eat it.  I know so many people who complain every year that the one thing they dread is eating Christmas Dinner at 2 p.m., when they are used to dinnertime being at 7 p.m., or having to eat Cousin Mary's cooking because this year it's at her house.  If your Christmas Dinner sucks when there's just two of you, there's only yourselves to blame.

I could think of other things, but you get the gist.  I chose things that I most often hear others complain about.  The important thing to remember is that if you want to get together with everyone, you still can - just differently this year.  If you are a lucky person like I am, whose family enjoys interacting and who have not lost anyone this year, you're still going to be able to "see" them and interact - just not all day, every day.  I promise you will survive, and you might even enjoy it.  How you decide to approach it makes all the difference.

And remember, at a minimum, you may have the same experience as Amanda and Pat - NO DRAMA!!! 😛