Freedom from Want, 1943, Norman Rockwell
Thanksgiving is just around the corner and for the newly separated or divorced person, this could be cause for real anxiety. It’s likely that the holiday traditions you’re used to will change, and change can feel complicated, even frightening. Below is an excerpt from an article from DivorceCandy.com, a website that helps divorcing people deal with divorce like any other big change in life – as an opportunity for growth and renewal. The article, written by Karen Salmansohn, provides important tips for the newly single person who may wish to spend the holiday with his/her ex-in-laws, for starting new holiday traditions, and for helping children manage their expectations so they can better adapt to their changing family during the holidays.
As we all know, Thanksgiving is a time for over-eating big piles of food with one’s family. But what we don’t all know is: What the heck is a “family” post-divorce?
For example: Does family include your ex-in-laws — if you still love them and miss them?
Admittedly, knowing who to over-eat turkey dinner with can be quite difficult to determine–especially if you’ve remained close friends with your ex-in-laws–and very especially if they’re known for making really yummy sweet-potato pie – the kind with that gooey marshmallows topping. I just love that!
But I digress.
The topic I wanna explore: What do you do around Thanksgiving time if you’re feeling like “family” might still include “your ex’s family” and you want to enjoy Turkey dinner with your ex-in-laws?
