Happily Single After: Turkey Day Edition

"If the only prayer you said in your whole life was "thank you", that would suffice." ~Unknown 


I remember holidays past when my ex and I would plot out how we'd spend the holidays. Would we go down to Georgia to his immediate family or my extended family? Would we take a drive down the turnpike to spend the day with my parents and my sisters? Would we stay local and visit his family?  This was the dilemma we were faced with every year. Wherever we ended up, our holidays were always filled with that warm, fuzzy feeling of being in love and being around the people that loved us most. Sometimes it was as simple as our eyes meeting from opposite sides of the room or simply sitting close and sharing a quiet joke about some family member who had had too much to drink that made me look forward to what the holidays meant to us.

This year, as with a few before it, I'm going through the holiday season solo. As most can imagine, in the past this has not been my favorite time of the year. Don't get me wrong, I love my family. We're the craziest, funniest, most honest, and the most loving people I know (I say that with not an ounce of bias. LOL), but I always cringe at the idea that somewhere along the way the question of ,"Pumpkin, what are you waiting on?" will come up and become the topic of conversation while everyone talks about me like I'm not in the room. I'm pretty certain I'm being a bit dramatic, but the thought of being the single cousin, sister, friend, or auntie while the majority of the women I know are well on their way at times made me feel like I'd been thrown into the outcast role like Quasimodo from the Hunchback of Notre Dame, (Cinderella would have been a more fitting reference). The weird thing is that I generally don't feel this way during the other ten months of the year. Although I miss  the intimacy of having that one on one bond with someone from time to time, that sense would only become heightened during the last two months of the calendar year.

So as the clock approaches 3:30am on Thanksgiving morning and most of my female peers are in their kitchens prepping their turkeys and finishing up on their side dishes and deserts, I'm lying in bed typing and looking forward to what my Thanksgiving day will be. First, I'm excited about the idea of volunteering in a soup kitchen tomorrow! I've donated money, food, and clothing to different causes in the past. I'm even a Big Sister of America. There's something about a person though, that takes the time out on what most people consider to be the most intimate days of the year, to help someone you don't know. I admire that. I decided that this year as a single woman I wanted to start my own tradition and that regardless of whether or not I'm with someone going forward that it's a tradition I'd like to continue for at least one of the holidays on a yearly basis. I have so much to be thankful for, and although it may not seem like much, I get no greater feeling than knowing that I've been a blessing to someone without the expectation of anything in return.

I also intend to cook. PAUSE. I'm dieting now and refraining from most of the foods I love, (GOD give me strength in these next few hours). I also have a dress that I bought a size too small that I need to be able to fit into in a few days. BUT, I decided that I need to take the initiative in hosting holiday events. I'm the queen of planning soirees and I've decided that for Christmas I'm going to plan a shindig for my close family and friends just to prove, to them but more to myself, that we single girls can do it too! I rock in the kitchen and I love entertaining so why not?!?! Food, family, friends, football (wait, there are no NFL games on Christmas), and fun sounds like the perfect day! Besides, I'm getting rusty and I need the practice!

I also intend to spend a part of my long weekend working on this blog!!! I have this vision of what I want it to be! I've been doing work behind the scenes and making connections so it's time to make those things come to fruition. I'm excited about the contacts I've been making and I relish in the positive things that people say after reading my posts. It makes me proud because I'm sharing a piece of me with you and I love that there are people out there who not only enjoy it, but that also relate to it and can take pieces of me where they go. I also love that so many guys have been willing to be featured in the "Bonjour Monsieur" section of the blog as a guy of the week. Not only growing my readership, but also assisting in my thoughts that maybe, quite possibly I might just assist in a love connection or a strong like connection at the least! It's also great to see so many people heading their own businesses and looking forward to partnering with me to have their businesses posted on the "Dash of Sass" portion of the blog! I love it!

Outside of my job as a GM with a hotel chain, I'm engaged in two other businesses. There's a not for profit that I'm a co-founder of and another for profit venture that I've just begun that I'm extremely excited about. I've been spreading myself thin for the past few weeks and the idea that I have four days to concentrate on all things getting me to an early retirement has me jumping for joy!

So as the yawns start coming more frequently and I prepare to get a few hours of shut eye before either my dog or my alarm wakes me up, I'm reflecting on all the things I'm thankful for. I have a great base of family and friends who walk with me every step of the way ensuring that I'm never alone. I have a job that exceeds all of my needs and enough passion and a plan to make things happen. I have my health and after burning a few pounds I'll make some man wanna slap his momma when I shimmy into that too small dress. Most of all, I have my faith in GOD and the wherewithal to know that it's bigger than me. I may be single but it's a state and not a curse and I can't think of one reason that I should feel any less blessed and thankful than the next...  Later on today I intend to serve a few people, who if not for the efforts of some organizations, wouldn't have any options for a Thanksgiving meal. Afterwards I intend to share stories, catch up on current events, talk about that family member that works my last nerve, ask a million questions during the football game, and laugh so much it hurts with my family and friends. If time permits, I may even schedule a date or two for this weekend. Whatever the case, I intend to spend my weekend and more of my time being thankful and happily single after...

GOD Bless you, your family, and your friends. Happy Thanksgiving!