Wow! I cannot believe that Thanksgiving is this week. Time has flown by and 2014 will be over in just a few weeks. So, how will you be spending Turkey Day. This year I am doing something that I have never done before. Instead of cooking for myself, my mom, and my cousin, we going out to eat for Thanksgiving. That's right we will be going to a restaurant. There will be no Turkey cooked in my house. No days and days of Leftovers. No days of prep work. And best of all, no cleanup!!!
I am kind of excited about this departure form the norm. We will be going to Ruth's Chris so I know the food will be good. They have a pre-fixed menu that includes Turkey and traditional sides. The cost of the meal is less than $40 a person. I will only be paying for myself and my mom. The cost for the two of us plus a nice tip will still be less than I'd have likely spent shopping for our traditional dinner.
Funny thing though, despite all of the positives associated with going out to eat, and my excitement to do something new, I feel kind of weird about it. SMH. Here I am a few months away from being 35 years old and I feel weird about my thanksgiving plans because I am concerned about what other people thing. I admit it. As much as I tell myself other people's opinions of me don't matter, the truth is they still do. We all talk with friends and family about our holiday plans. As I hear myself saying we are going out to eat. I feel like I am bracing myself for some form of judgment. I imagine they are thinking things like what kind of family does she have, is she to lazy too cook, what about tradition, and people are forced to work on the holiday because of people like her. I find myself over selling the upside of going out to eat and giving details that the person I am in the conversation with has not even asked about. Oh, boy...
However, yes you know I have to find a bright side, despite whatever weirdness I feel and my concerns about judgement, I have not changed my plans. We are indeed going out to eat and I am focused on my excitement about it and not dwelling on the things I think people may be thinking. Things that they are likely not thinking at all. When I was younger I might have let these imagined judgments alter my plans and have me cooking for hours and hours. But at almost 35 I am wise enough to not let what others think or might be thinking to dictate my actions.
This Thanksgiving I am thankful that I am becoming more and more confident in doing my own thing. I am thankful that I'll be spending Turkey Day with my mom and cousin, who both mean so much to me. I am thankful that the food will be good. I am thankful that I don't have to cook it. Most of all I am thankful that I don't have to clean up after.
How will you be spending your Turkey Day? Will you be doing what you really want to do? If not, do you think you'll be doing something different next year? Lastly, what are you thankful for?
