Thanksgiving, where families and friends gather together to share thanks for each other. Good food, good atmosphere, good company. That’s the Thanksgiving I’ve always heard about, however that’s not the Thanksgiving I’ve experienced.
When I was twelve, my Thanksgiving’s changed drastically. Instead of celebrating with both my mother and father, I had to pick. I lived with my mother, so naturally I usually picked to celebrate with my father. Thanksgiving’s with my father were very different. There was no home cooked food, no celebrating with the family all together. But it was still special. Whether we celebrated by going out to a restaurant, or going over to a friend’s house, I still had a nice time. It was definitely different than being with both my parents, yet I learned that wasn’t a bad thing.
This year is the first time I’m celebrating Thanksgiving with my mother in seven years. Of course, I’m prepared for it to be different than with my father. I’m sure it’ll still be fun, but it’s definitely going to be different. Maybe she’ll cook, or maybe we’ll go out. There’s a lot of unknowns about this holiday now, nothing is in stone.
When it comes to celebrating holidays with divorced parents, the key is to be patient. They both want you to enjoy the holiday the same as if they were together. Of course it won’t be perfect- but who needs it to be perfect? As long as you enjoy the time you spend with that family member, then it’s all worth it. Don’t resent the holidays because of change, it’s not worth it. Instead, move forward and spend those times living in the moment and appreciating those around you.