How Did Those of Us Without “Normal” Traditions Spend The Holidays?

They say it’s the most wonderful time of the year, but sometimes it can be pretty meh. Not everyone is spending this Yule holiday season in the company of loved ones, or spends this time in a traditional way. Since my mother is a nurse, I’ve always been used to spending a major holiday the day before or the day after with my whole family. Also, there are people who don’t have families, have a toxic family, or are going through the holiday season bearing the loss of someone special in their heart. So, for those people who didn’t have a “normal” holiday, how did you spend it?

 

View this post on Instagram

 

✨❤️✨Happy holidays! (But also sad/emotional/weird/stressful holidays!) Sending my love to everyone who has lost someone they loved and is missing them a little extra today. I see you. It’s okay if everything ain’t all merry and bright. It can be a mix of all of it. And it’s all okay. Feel all the feelings – the good and the not so good. Eat something delish they used to love. Put on one of their favorite songs. Tell a story about them. Cry about them. Call one of their friends you haven’t talked to in a while. Be kind and patient with yourself. Don’t grieve in silence. You’re not alone. ❤️

A post shared by Billie Lourd (@praisethelourd) on Dec 25, 2019 at 4:10am PST

As for me, I was in the company of my long-time friend, seasonal depression. I got to eat dinner with my folks, but when I got to my home, I felt myself feeling very physically alone in my space. So, as I did in my youth, I distracted myself with television.

I ended up watching the fifth season of Downton Abbey, which … was a season of television for sure. My poor sis Edith continues to not catch any breaks, and watching three equally brunette men court Lady Mary is not the most exciting thing in the world. At least I got to watch Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes fall in love finally.

In more exciting news, and fitting with the image, I have been slowly working my way through Adventure Time for the first time and it really lifted my spirits. The show is both weird and loving, sweet and is filled with found families. I also just feel like an entire generation was raised on it so, I need to keep up.

The older I get, the less I want to play into the pressure of assumed joy and happiness during these times of the year. While it may not be hard for some, it is for others and acknowledging that is important. Especially, because we are told to be happy for other people’s sake, so in this post, I wanted to give people the space to say how their holidays went, the good, the bad, the sad, the optimistic, and the pessimistic, because all of those feelings are valid and part of the holidays.

(image: Cartoon Network)

Want more stories like this? Become a subscriber and support the site!

—The Mary Sue has a strict comment policy that forbids, but is not limited to, personal insults toward anyone, hate speech, and trolling.—