Evaluate Your Thanksgiving Day Expectations

“Disappointment is unmet expectations, and the more significant the expectations the more significant the disappointment.” ~Brene Brown

“Expectation is the root of all heartache.” ~William Shakespeare

We all have a vision of what we think the perfect Thanksgiving day should look like. It’s when that vision does not play out in reality that stress, disappointment and heartache replace joy and gratitude. This year, more than any other year, is going to test our vision of what Thanksgiving should look like. The key word in that sentence is SHOULD.

“One of the great things about expectations is that we’re the ones who make them.” ~Jeanne Rupert

I encourage you to take some time before Thursday to evaluate your expectations for this upcoming holiday weekend.  Consider the following:

· What is truly important to you?

· What can you control? What is completely out of your control?

· Remind yourself of the reality of the year 2020.

· If something goes wrong, what is the worst that could happen? Have you just created a heartwarming or hilarious family memory that will be discussed at Thanksgivings for years to come?

· Think of one thing that is important to you that it happen or go well and focus on making that one thing happen versus focusing on an entire day of perfection.

My family's Thanksgiving plans have changed multiple times over the past few weeks.  As of today, all of our individual households will be having their own Thanksgiving.  So it will be my husband, daughter and I eating together.  My son will be quarantining in his apartment a state away as he was exposed to COVID at work.  At first I was really sad about the need for a drastic change from our regular celebrations.  However, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I have absolutely no control over the big picture.  We want our family to be healthy and safe so I've accepted that being apart and celebrating through Zoom calls is the best option for this year.   

Thinking about the three of us who will be together, I talked to my family about what they like about Thanksgiving.  For my husband, it's football.  Every year without fail, dinner is served right at a key point during the game and he misses it.  For my daughter who is a very picky eater, it's that she doesn't really like any of the traditional Thanksgiving dishes that we serve.  What would she want to eat?  Macaroni and Cheese!  For me, I love running in a local Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning.  

My expectations for Thanksgiving 2020 have been reset.  It will definitely look different than in years past and I'm OK with that fact.  I'll get up and run in a virtual turkey trot before stepping into the kitchen to cook my very first Thanksgiving dinner which I'm getting more excited about as the day draws closer.  I'm going to set our table up in front of the TV so that my husband doesn't have to miss a single down of the football game.  When my daughter fills her plate solely with macaroni and cheese, I won't say a word.  

What are your expectations for Thanksgiving 2020?

“If you align your expectations with reality, you will never be disappointed.”  ~Terrell Owens

Picture credits: www.sugarandcharm.com     www.alamy.com     www.pngkey.com