It feels both weird and soothing to read this. I live in the U.K. So we don't have Thanksgiving, but I've come to dread Christmas as I get older. I have no family apart from my 85 year old mother, so it's always down to me. And sometimes she's not well, so sleeps a lot but I darent leave the house in case she falls or needs me in some way. For the last 40 odd years, I've always imagined people with families and siblings to be so lucky. You don't have to do everything, other people can share in the work. You have companionship. Someone to help you when you feel tired or overwhelmed. When I worked full time in a busy job where I saw lots of people every day, there was always office politics. And at work dos especially. Who wears what, where to go, what someone doesn't like to eat, arguments, people drinking too much, all that stuff. I'm now seeing from these and other threads that family celebrations are much the same, except you're related. I've seen all this like the happy John Lewis adverts (the British equivalent of the Norman Rockwell) and it's hard to forget that having a family doesn't not always equal happiness. I don't mean to say that knowing other people have problems makes me feel better, because I'm still scared and struggle to cope alone, and I try not to be selfish. But it has helped me think more realistically about the holiday season. Hugs to all. I can't wait till January.