A Thanksgiving Idea for Singles

By Jeanine Byers

One Thanksgiving when I was in my twenties, a group of friends I knew from church decided to plan a get-together for all of us who were going to be unable to go home to our families. That day, spent with them, was SO wonderful, that it is one of my fondest memories! And I only knew a few of the ten or so who were there when the day began. What follows is how you can create the same kind of magical holiday experience...

(1) Plan at least two weeks in advance, if possible. That will help to alleviate the anxiety some people feel as the holiday approaches, and they don't have plans. It also gives you plenty of time to coordinate who will bring what.

Make sure that people are bringing something they are comfortable with so that doesn't become a source of anxiety, as well. For years, I brought apple pie and sodas.

(2) If the group is composed of people who don't know each other very well, take a few minutes before the meal begins for introductions. One idea is to have everyone share not just what they do but why they chose their careers, and what they are grateful for this year.

(3) Have everyone bring their favorite game to play in between grazing experiences. As each new game is introduced, have the person share what makes it a favorite.

(4) To foster connection, avoid watching TV, unless everyone decides to watch a rented movie and talk about it afterwards.

(5) This would be a great time to identify who will be alone at Christmas and begin planning a get-together for that day. You could even have everyone draw names for a gift exchange.

See Also:

Alone for the Holidays?
Holidays are a time to share love, and many people end up feeling depressed when they do not have people around with whom to share love. If you are in this situation, what can you do to make the holidays joyous rather than depressing?

Thankfulness
An old preacher taught her, as a little girl, to always look for things to be grateful for. So, as soon as she awoke each morning, she asked herself, "What is the first thing I can be grateful for today?"

Love Yourself First
How can you expect someone else to love you unconditionally if you can't accept and love yourself the way you are? Yet we have this tendency to think that love from others is what validates us. No, it's the love you give yourself. The more love you give yourself the more you give to the world. It's all connected, we are all one.

Dreams and Desires, Wishes and Wants Journals
We all have dreams and desires, our own personal wishes and wants. What if you could just have what you wanted and wished for? What would that house look like, feel like? How would you decorate it?

The Beautiful You
Our society places great emphasis on a narrow idea of physical beauty. There are many kinds of beauty, and it isn't always about appearance. Authentic beauty is something deep within -- the real you. For inside, you are more beautiful than you may ever know.

Self-Confidence...Where Can I Get Some?
Don't let anybody, anytime; shatter your confidence. Self-Confidence matters, and getting it seems to be fairly complicated at times.

Gratitude Today...
We need to start living like we are the wealthiest people on earth, and stop whining like babies, every time we can't have something we want.