How to Survive Thanksgiving

 Time flies.

Just yesterday it seemed like I had given into the depravity of the Black Friday phenomenon and collapsed from either gluttony of the feast just a few hours before, or the exhaustion from  hauling shopping bags and dodging shopaholics-gone-wild.

The stress comes all too soon. ‘Tis the season to be jolly, yet here we are, scrambling at wit’s end.To do lists to be done, shopping lists to be fulfilled. Last minute table settings all the while calculating the optimal time to buy vegetable “x” to ensure utmost freshness, all without brawling with your next door neighbor for the last yellow squash on the shelves. Take a step back. List down, eyes closed. Breathe.

Remember: Haste makes waste.

It’s complete insanity to put such pressure on ourselves during the holiday season, and for it to start on Thanksgiving is but irony at its finest. We stress over the littlest of details in the hopes of achieving a picture-perfect Thanksgiving dinner, smiling faces lit by the perfect amount of candles, sitting around a perfectly roasted turkey spilling with perfectly steamy stuffing.

Stop yourself. There’s no such thing as picture-perfect. Paint yourself an evening to the likeness of a Domino (RIP!) spread will only be in vain. You’re alive—not some still-life cast for eternity in a moment of time! You don’t have control over family squabbles and spilled cranberry sauce. It happens. It’s what makes your Thanksgiving, your Thanksgiving.

Start small. Light a few candles wherever you are—your bedroom, your kitchen. Something delicious, cinnamon-y, spicy, with vanilla notes, like this, this or this. There’s something to be said about why baking is comforting: vanilla is synonymous (sensually speaking) with ideals of warmth, softness and simplicity. Experiments conducted by psychologists and medical researchers have shown that vanillin is universally regarded as a “pleasant” scent, one that reduces anxiety and stress. Never underestimate the power of scents. There’s a reason why certain fragrances can bring us back in time triggering memories; it’s not just another romantic notion of poets and perfumeries. (The olfactory receptors are directly connected to the limbic system, thought to be the center of emotion.) Smells can calm, rejuvenate, soothe. Dim the lights, take a deep, deep breath. In. Out. In. Out.

Never try to do it all yourself. Hypocritical coming from me, yes, but we all know that we can’t be Superman. (Superman and Batman had sidekicks and butlers with seemingly infinite resources of knowledge, so don’t fret—and who said it was a competition?). Hosting the dinner? Make it a potluck: take a few things off your shoulders and immerse yourself in the essence of the holiday. Thanksgiving is a day in which many come together, bringing their own tastes and cultures to the table. Literally. But if you’re a Virgo (or mildly obsessive-compulsive, and already have your entire menu planned out from hor d’oeuvres to desserts, invite a few family members or friends (you know with competent kitchen skills to decrease any stress) over to help with the preparations. Appoint a less-domesticated (ha!) friend to document the entire process. Guaranteed, you’ll feel more at ease and actually enjoy yourself.

But most importantly, express your gratitude. Take the time to go through all the things you’re grateful for, be it in your head or written on paper. Yes, we should be counting our stars regardless of the day, but let’s be honest—most of us don’t have that on our list of priorities during the rest of the year. Do it now. Remember why we celebrate Thanksgiving, re-live the special moments of Thanksgivings passed. There’s no denying that it’s a day to indulge in the delicious sins of gluttony (honesty is the best policy, here), and, for once, without feeling guilty about the excess calories. But delve a little deeper.

If you’re reading this, you must have impeccable taste in style (kidding – but you know what I mean!). You have internet access. You’re literate. You have the world at your fingertips. You have access to knowledge, to education, and, therefore, the power to initiate and make change.

So breathe.

Remember.

Be thankful.

And before I wish you the obligatory “Happy Thanksgiving!!,” unnecessary exclamation points and all, a gratuitous list of Things I Love (and am Thankful For) list:

 

• Paulo Coelho’s blog, read on a daily basis (with “Writing is like Making Love to Computer” being my favorite article). It’s a wonder that I haven’t read his books yet…

• Conviction, Suits, and re-runs of Fairly Legal. Law will never cease to fascinate me.

• No Makeup Week(end). It kind of happened organically, a brief experimentation (out of boredom, I suppose) during which I stumbled upon the (brilliant!) Rachel Rabbit White’s post on No Makeup Week. Absolutely brill. I couldn’t stop myself from going through every entry documenting the process—it’s an interesting read for sure.

• Essie’s “Bahama Mama.” Everyone needs this shade.

• Beautiful, beautiful friends. A circle where each brings to the table a certain element of unique strength, where we compensate for each others’ weaknesses and enhance each others’ strengths. A few months apart and here we are today, anxiously anticipating a reunion!

• Green tea. My replacement for coffee. The amount I drink is astronomical, and as much as I know that too much of a good thing becomes a bad thing, I take one look at my skin and won’t even hesitate to re-fill my mug. It’s miraculous, this thing.

• 750 words. I adore the concept of morning pages; and while I’m usually writing papers or reviewing for exams early in the day, I always try to write something down. Anything, all throughout the day. I haven’t actually written in forever, stuck in a creative rut that makes things frustratingly ugly. Trying to get back on track with that, amongst other things…

 

Thank you. Thank you for stopping by, for reading, for leaving sweet little notes, for your support. To think that what I have to say has garnered even just one reader is unbelievable; I’ll always be taken by how blogging has organically fostered a pathway for a future in which pursuing aspirations can become a reality. And it’s all thanks to you. I’m humbled. Taken aback that you’ve taken the time to stop by, even if just for a moment.

Because half the time, I don’t even have the patience for me. (;

.   .   .

x

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