Image by Cindy at Rosehaven Cottage via Flickr

The holidays are rolling around again, with Thanksgiving as the warm-up. In this day and age, with the economy in the toilet, getting the gang together may be more difficult than usual. This might be the first Turkey Day you’ll spend without your loved ones near. Although there are plenty of movies depicting the holiday scene as one of joyousness and happiness, the truth is real life isn’t the movies, and this holiday season may be one big change for you.

After reaching the age of forty, you may find that the children have moved out and moved on, forming a family nucleus of their own and living too far away to visit. If you’re not planning a big shin-dig, you might be feeling lost and aimless not having a crew to cook for or clean up after. Here are some alternative suggestions to the traditional Thanksgiving festivities:

Go out to eat. Nothing says you have to stay home, and there are many restaurants that are open for service on Thanksgiving. Make your reservations early, dress comfortably and eat a leisurely dinner knowing you won’t be the one sweating in the kitchen or responsible for clean-up.

Order in. Supermarkets and restaurants offer complete meals for two to eight people including all the holiday fixings like turkey, ham, dressing and cranberry sauce. Some even provide disposable plates and utensils, meaning you can take the day off and relax, instead of traipsing between the stove and the dishwasher for the majority of the day.

Visit the kids. Make them do all the work! Instead of the kids coming to you, tell them you’re not doing Thanksgiving dinner this year, and ask them what time will they be serving dinner? It would be polite to volunteer to bring a side item, such as rolls or beverages, but put the onus of cooking where it belongs now that they’re grown up enough to have their own homes and families. Think of it as a benevolent “Mother’s Revenge”.

Volunteer at a soup kitchen. Many churches, homeless and women’s shelters offer a soup kitchen not only on Thanksgiving, but all through the year. Call your local Meals on Wheels, an organization that delivers meals to shut-ins, and ask if they need help with delivery service. You can volunteer to cook, serve or clean up, and it might inspire you to contribute throughout the year, when these organizations need help the most.

Make a difference. Donating in this economic time of need will go a long way to beating the holiday blues. No matter your circumstance, doing something nice for someone else is…well, a nice thing to do. One of the most inspirational stories we’ve read can be found here, at Vinnie’s Hope. Sometimes, it doesn’t take much to lift the clouds, and knowing that you have made a difference to someone can do just that.

Above all, remember it’s okay if you don’t like the holidays and don’t feel any of the cheer as depicted in pop culture. If you don’t feel like a traditional holiday dinner, by all means, buy a frozen pizza and some chicken wings and watch comedies on your DVD player. You don’t have to buy into the Hype of Holidays; make new traditions. As your life changes, it’s fine to change your holiday traditions as well.

We here at Over Forty and Loving It wish you a happy day, no matter how you wish to celebrate.