By Margaret Smith
In an age of uncertainty and forced adaptivity, being alone on Thanksgiving is highly possible. In fact, my brother was exposed to COVID-19 and must quarantine on Thanksgiving. I wouldn’t feel so bad for him if he weren’t the kind of person who burns microwavable popcorn.
Even colleges and universities around the nation are trying to convince students to stay on campus for the holiday, pushing “friendsgiving” and other ways to celebrate in the dorms to slow the spread.
Whether celebrating “friendsgiving” or just plain being quarantined and alone, no one wants to be separated from family on Thanksgiving. Here’s an optimistic, “look on the bright side” view of thanksgiving when celebrating alone that hopefully makes the holiday a little bit easier.
- No one can judge you for getting seconds, thirds, or fourths, so you can eat more than what may be socially acceptable. (I tend to do this anyway, but now none of my family can say anything about it!)
- You don’t have to deal with awkward family discussions about politics. My family, and most I know, cover the whole spectrum of political beliefs. So there never fails to be a silent stare-down across the table when someone mentions the effectiveness of President Trump (you can probably guess what side of that discussion I’m on based on the fact I work for Newt Gingrich).
- You don’t have to be polite and pretend to enjoy the food that the cooking-impaired family member serves.
- You don’t have to deal with crowded airports or long drives while traveling — or dealing with crabby passengers who haven’t gotten enough sleep (yourself included).
- If you live in California and have to deal with Gov. Newsom, like me, or New York with Gov. Cuomo, you don’t have to worry about dealing with ridiculous mandates against gatherings with 10 or more people, banned singing, and outdoor celebrations.
- If you are an atrocious cook, like me, then you can feel extremely accomplished when you make something edible, which is entirely possible with the recipes posted on our website for the holidays.
No matter the circumstances of celebrating, we must remember the message of the holiday, which is to be thankful. We must be thankful for our loved ones, even when we cannot see them, thankful for delicious food (whether it be turkey or takeout), and thankful to live in a democratic, free county, no matter who the president is (doesn’t mean we can’t complain about it though).
The team at Gingrich360 hopes you have a wonderful thanksgiving, no matter the circumstances, and that you remember to look on the bright side this holiday season.
