A different Thanksgiving

It's hard to believe it is already Thanksgiving and only a month away from Christmas. Normally, the holidays make me feel stressed, and I do as much as I can to avoid them. Over the years, I've spent many holidays alone out of choice. I think I tried convincing myself that was okay, that I really didn't deserve anyone and just masked it as stress. This is not to say that stress didn't consume me, but there was another layer there I felt guilty about sharing with people.

This Thanksgiving was honestly not going to be that different until a few days ago. I found out my mom was not coming to visit, so I had decided to stay at home and do more unpacking. Then, in a bizarre sort of twist, my realtor asked me if I wanted to join her and 7-8 other non-related people for Thanksgiving. At first, I wanted to politely say no, but instead I decided to look at this as 1) a way to socialize more and 2) a challenge.

I look at this as a pretty hefty decision since the only person I know is my realtor. In general, I've never felt that comfortable with people I don't know, and even more so about eating in front of them. But I'm trying not to distress over it and look at it as a way to hopefully increase my social circle which is important in a new area. One good thing is that I know I will have actual food to eat since there will be someone who is vegan. This makes making eggrolls kind of tough when egg is used as a sealant I'm going to try to substitute with cornstarch and water which may or may not work. Otherwise, the vegan will just have to make the choice for himself.

Anyway, I'm hoping to have a good time and just experience the occasion as it is.

I wish all of you a Happy Thanksgiving. I know the holidays can be tough, especially for those with EDs, but I hope everyone can prevail, meet new challenges, experience and enjoy the holiday.