10 Creative Ideas for a Different Holiday

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 By: Megan Brewer, LMHC

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, many anticipate a very different kind of holiday season this year. It has felt to me like we have all been on a progressive journey of discerning what the next season will be like, and, along the way, we have been adopting a new kind of acceptance in each season.

This has been the journey of my family as we waited and reevaluated each month, trying to decide if it was safe to spend the holidays together. When we first started discussing the potential risks of traveling, it was difficult to arrive at a decision to not see each other as we had in years past. It took months of us talking it through and settling into the reality that the wisest decision for us was to forgo our usual holiday time together and stay home.

The decision took time for me to accept, but once I did, it opened new opportunities to creatively celebrate in ways I had not previously thought about. Now, that doesn’t mean our family stopped longing to be together, nor does it mean that I just tried to manufacture a positive attitude. Avoidance would be a much more appropriate category for that. But acceptance is different. Acceptance acknowledges the loss and grieves it appropriately. It also allows us to look towards the future and the opportunity for possibilities we were unable to see before.

So, after accepting I would not be spending Thanksgiving with extended family, my husband and I started making plans for a new adventure. We decided to visit one of our favorite small towns for a night and experience their spectacular holiday light display. I had never been anywhere on Thanksgiving except with extended family or friends, so this was a whole new experience. During our adventure, we discovered a new favorite cafe and enjoyed walking through the scenic streets by day and lavish light displays by night. We learned most restaurants have a limited Thanksgiving-only menu and that sometimes you have to risk trying new things to learn if you would do them over again.

So whatever new situation you find yourself in this holiday season, here are some suggestions and questions to get you thinking of ways you can risk trying something new this year:

  • If you can’t be with extended family this holiday season, what can you do to celebrate in a way that is meaningful to you? Are there old traditions you want to continue on your own? Or are there new ones you have been wanting to try?
  • Look for possibilities in the midst of unmet expectations. What are some things you can do differently in the midst of the unexpected?
  • Do something to bless someone else this holiday season. If volunteering would be too exposing due to COVID-19, consider other ways you could bless someone you know. 
  • Write a meaningful letter to someone you are grateful for or to someone who needs encouragement.
  • Bake or cook or have something delivered to encourage someone you know.
  • Bundle up and go for a socially distanced walk with a hot drink through a neighborhood or park you enjoy. Maybe invite someone along and pick a street that has a holiday light display. 
  • Set up a virtual coffee meeting with a friend or schedule a time to connect with multiple members of your family. Be creative with your time together! Ask everyone to have their favorite hot drink with them on the call. Perhaps share something that has been meaningful to them during this season.
  • Plan a virtual gift exchange and open gifts together.
  • Sit down and take some time to reflect on what is most meaningful to you about the holiday season. What is the real reason you celebrate? How can those meaningful reasons produce joy for you in the midst of this very different season?
 
 
To schedule an appointment with Megan Brewer,

  Please call our office at 407-647-7005.

  www.lifeworksgroup.org

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