Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy Your Weekend!

hello everyone,

I am sharing some Thanksgiving humor and also wishing a great Thanksgiving weekend to all who celebrate.  However you occupy your time this weekend, be sure to laugh, love, and enjoy the moment.  Spend the time as you wish and go with what moves you.  Even if it is non-conventional or it requires the most minimum effort.  If you were a family member who did all of the cooking and cleaning in the past, take a vacation from it and don't feel guilty about the change.  People will either understand or they don't.  The people who don't understand are so accustomed to having the same people, year after year, continue doing everything for them while they sit idle.   I am proposing a grass roots movement for women to create a 👊"HOLIDAY STRIKE"!!👊 hahahahaha!!! 😝

The objective should be to enjoy a simple meal and to re-charge your batteries in order to rediscover peace, light, and love.  I have learned that if things don't offer you peace or cause you pain, it doesn't hurt to take a step back.  Even if you have to spend the holiday by yourself because you don't have family nearby (for whatever reason), go ahead and meditate while enjoying your solitude.   There is no need to subject yourself to turmoil for the sake of not being "alone".  Sometimes the best perspective comes from those stolen solitary moments.  You cannot fill up the cups of others when you are mentally and emotionally running on empty.  If people take your presence for granted, they may or may not miss you when you are not around.  At the end of the day, you have to live with yourself and how you feel.  The worst part is that you got to take a break and enjoy some relaxation.  Especially if you are accustomed to being the person preparing for the holidays.  You are not missing out on much. If anything, you get to enjoy the same relaxation others got to enjoy each year in the past.  If push comes to shove, pour some hot water into a cup of ramen noodles and lay out in the candle lit bathtub with water like a lazy bum!

For many years, the holidays were dreaded and felt exhausting.  I used to work super hard in the field with my tools, then run home and collect items for the holidays.  Then there was a tremendous amount of prep time and labor getting the family meals together.  I never had anyone willing to pitch in and help.  I laugh when I think back how the rest of the family, playing video games or watching tv, did not put the same amount of effort into the holidays.  They had ZERO holiday stress!  They just showed up to the table and  then walked away back towards their activities.  They were the happiest and well rested.  I always wondered why there is always so much pressure on women to carry out all of the work during the holidays?  If they don't do all the work solo, they are bad women.  Truth be told, they are being taken advantage of year after year.  I actually love the concept of having four days of doing WHATEVER you want to do.  This includes being lazy and doing absolutely NOTHING! 

My favorite part is the cleaning up task! Ha! Once everyone is done with the meal, I went to cleaning up the kitchen.  I was the type to clean and wash dishes as I went along so the final clean-up was easier.  I made pies and deserts from scratch that were devoured in mere seconds.  When I think back, it was expectations that I just did no matter how tired.  Shame on me, in hindsight, for not demanding more from the rest of the family.  As an older woman, I have learned where to step in and where to back off.  I do not have to apologize to anyone for taking the easier route everyone else has done for many years. ha!!

Nevermind the immediate family members. Those friends and family who pop up in empty handed lurk in every family. 😝 Those people who are invited well ahead of time and still show up empty handed. On top of that, they are quick to take home leftovers. This is under the guise of helping to clean up. You can't forget that one family member who HAS to talk about politics or religion while eating. 😳Dinner has never been so uncomfortable and awkward. Those people who do bring deserts that only one or two people will enjoy are a blessing as well!😝☠ Then you have those family members who tell embarrassing war stories about other family members. While I appreciate that, others are not fond of those special moments. I used to deal with a man who would tell me last minute about a party. He never understood why I was frustrated with showing up empty handed?🤦‍♀️🤷‍♀️😳 I would point out, upon arrival, that I just found out an hour ago about the party. He would get frustrated with me for speaking up. It is what I do.😝😝😝🤷‍♀️

What lies ahead is family members who evolve and all want to work together to create a holiday together.  What you want and think will manifest.  Once boundaries are set and future expectations of a more team like manner are mapped out, people will either get the memo and start pitching in.  Worst case scenario, you stay the course and continue the holiday strike while remaining in solitude.  It is a win-win situation! 

*FYI- I am writing the above and below narrative in a humorous tone!* 😝😝

I would die laughing🤣🤣 if a grass roots movement actually began where all women decided to go on a holiday strike and force the men in her life to do all of the things they formerly took for granted! Ha!! Only then, they would dread the holidays! hahaahaha!!

You know damn well that spas, bars, and hair salons would open up to capitalize on the striking women going do things to take care of themselves.  Screw Black Friday that is just straight aggravation!  A spa day sounds much more peaceful than a giant crowd of asshats, in a food coma from the day before, storming into Wal-Mart like animals at 2AM. hahahahaha!!

My objective for this post is to make you laugh😝🤣 plus offer a wonderful perspective on the role of solitude.  We cannot control our circumstances or environment.🤷‍♀️  However, we can make the best of non-ideal situations with the right mindset.  Pour some vodka🍹 into that lemonade you just made and have a great weekend no matter the dynamics.

May you have peace🙏, love, and laugh a lot this weekend!  Shift your mindset into a more positive manner to manifest the better things in life.  Laugh- even if you are laughing at yourself!

Cheers!

Leslie M. Jasper

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