Calming the Thanksgiving Blues

Many of us look forward to Thanksgiving with cheery visions of friends and family gathering around for a mouthwatering meal. However, some people, especially those who are going through a bad time, may actually dread the holiday, and see it as a lonely and disappointing time. For them, Thanksgiving may be just the start of a long string of “holiday blues.” So, try some of these ideas to shed a different light on the holiday.

• Write a card or note of thanks. We all would love to hear words of thanks, so, let’s tell them! Write a quick note, send an email, or make that phone call. It can be as simple as saying “Thanks for being you!” or “Glad you’re in my life!” Thanksgiving is the perfect time to let them know!
• Share your Thanksgiving meal. Add an extra chair or two to your Thanksgiving table and ask them to join you. Check to see if they have food preferences or restrictions, and look online if you need any special recipes.
• Deliver a Thanksgiving meal. If they’re too sick or too sad to join you, deliver the celebration to them. Ask a group of folks (from work, church, neighborhood, etc.) to contribute to a Thanksgiving dinner by making extra portions of their tastiest holiday dish to share. Don’t forget to provide disposable and colorful plates and cups, plasticware, napkins, a plastic or paper tablecloth, and a trash bag to make clean up a snap! Then, deliver the meal with a card, heating instructions, and a hug. If the idea of a whole meal seems daunting, just bring a piece of your favorite pie.
• Plan something fun to do over the Thanksgiving weekend. Take some of the loneliness out of the weekend by going on a shopping spree, seeing a holiday blockbuster movie, skiing or ice skating, or watching a football game. Each town has its own fun activities for the Thanksgiving holiday. Check online or in the paper for some fun ideas.
• Involve the kids. Children add a special glow to the holiday season. Help them create a Thanksgiving Day greeting card for someone shut in. Pull together the paper, markers, and decorating supplies and let the kids create! Then, send them out to deliver their homemade card.
• Help with holiday decorations. Make someone’s home a bit cheerier by helping to hang some holiday lights or other decorations. Don’t forget to help take those decorations down at the end of the season.
• Make a visit to the hospital or home. Illness doesn’t take a break just because it’s the holiday. If appropriate, come with something fun to do, or just watch a game, movie, or the parade together.

We all love to know that we have something fun to look forward to over the holidays. So, start your planning now and extend the invitation to your friend ASAP. Sometimes, just anticipating the fun is as enjoyable as the real event. By giving a bit of your extra time and effort, you can bring a smile to someone going through a rough time. You just might help to ease their “Thanksgiving blues.” Copyright 2014 Allidah Hicks and Bonnie Knuti. All rights reserved.