Bah-Humbug!

November 17, 2012

It’s the holiday season again. Or, should I say, it’s the Thanksgiving season. People conveniently forget about Thanksgiving in the hubbub of Christmas lights and presents. However, I’ll be honest, I always preferred Thanksgiving. Christmas has gotten to be too much of a hassle. With Thanksgiving, you get all the good food and none of the stress!

This year my husband and I have decided to fly back to visit our family in Indiana for Christmas. After searching for cheap tickets, we found that it would be over $300 to fly. Not terrible, especially considering the price of gas. But we can’t forget about our pets…two cats can’t survive on their own for a whole week. Add in another couple hundred for pet sitting/boarding. Then, there’s the stress. Don’t get me wrong, I love visiting my family. I don’t love being away from my own bed, my own bathroom, and my own routine for seven days. We always try to visit as many friends and family members as we can while there, meaning that we spend almost as much time on the road traveling from place to place than we actually spend with people. By the time I get back home to Kansas City, I’m in need of another vacation to recover from the week I’ve spent away from home.

This brings me back to Thanksgiving. On Thanksgiving, I stay at home. I sleep late and maybe watch some football on television. My husband, friends, and I can decide to cook if we want. Or maybe, we’ll go out to dinner (some really great Chinese restaurants are open on holidays). Of course I miss my family, but I really don’t miss all the stress. 

Thanksgiving will never provide the same excitement as Christmas (no presents, of course), but for me, it means a quiet time at home with friends and family here in Kansas City. Not the stress of traveling, shopping, and overspending that permeates the month of December. So be thankful for the Thanksgiving, I know I am!

Jamie C.
Platte City Branch