Every year it’s the same old thing. You show up to your Aunt Suzie’s house and get asked the same five questions:
- How are you doing in school?
- Do you have a boyfriend/girlfriend?
- If you answered no to question #2, why don’t you have one and when do you plan on getting one?
- What do you want to do when you’re done with school?
- Do you have a job lined up for the summer?
And every year, those same five questions are just as anxiety inducing as they were the previous year. It’s almost as if your family is trying to remind you of how not-put-together you feel. And this year, there are a few new, and ever so controversial, topics that will most likely be making their way into your holiday gathering. These topics include the following.
- The outcome of this year’s election
- Who everyone voted for
- Black Lives Matter
- Gay Marriage
- Planned Parenthood
Thus, I have compiled a list of five alternative topics that will help to keep your holidays enjoyable.
1. How good of a first lady Michelle Obama was
Not only did she help to significantly decrease childhood obesity with her Let’s Move campaign, but she did it in a way that made getting fit seem fun.
She was an incredible role-model for girls and women everywhere, and she always had an empowering message for women.
Michelle Obama is also extremely funny, like when she went shopping with Ellen DeGeneres at CVS. And who can forget the time that she did a perfect imitation of her husband on Stephen Colbert.
She always handled herself with incredible grace and poise, while still being full of sass.
She also knows how to jam in the car.
2. How Much You Love Freeform’s 25 Days of Christmas
The thing I look forward to the most every holiday season is watching the 25 Days of Christmas movies. It doesn’t get any better than cuddling up in a warm blanket and watching happy, holiday movies. And nothing brings your family together like a shared love of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. This year includes all of the usual movies, such as Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, The Polar Express and Elf. However, some new ones have been thrown into the marathon, like Frozen and Happy Feet! Check out the full schedule here!
3. PUPPIES
What’s not to love about puppies? They’re cute, innocent, and oh so cuddly. It’s a nearly impossible feat to watch a video of a puppy running around and not smile.
4. Good Movies You Saw Recently or Want to See
A lot of good movies have come out recently from Finding Dory to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. And so, there are a lot of movie-related topics to talk about, and even more movies to get excited about in the future. Who else can’t wait for Jackie and Beauty and the Beast?
5. What You’re Thankful For
We have a lot to be thankful for this holiday season. Let’s start with the fact that we get to spend the holidays stuffing our faces with delicious food and surrounded by the people that we love the most. We are able to enjoy many luxuries that are not available to others, such as Starbucks and being able to go shopping on Black Friday. And although it was a very rough election this year, we are extremely fortunate to be able to vote for the leader of our country, a privilege that is not always afforded to people in other countries. It is very easy to get caught up in life and all of the chaos that it entails, but it’s important to take the occasional step back and appreciate all that life has to offer.