On Nov. 27, the worrying will begin. In less than a few hours, Great Aunt Edna will burst into the house carrying a platter loaded with ham. Ma will put the finishing touches on the roasted turkey filled with stuffing, and Uncle Herbert will start pouring cups of homemade lemonade and cranberry juice for everyone. The kitchen will be more crowded than it has ever been, and Lady Festivity will reign supreme for the day.
The only downside is that these joy-filled holiday seasons can often be coupled with worry and stress. Thankfully, because we have “not been given a spirit of fear” by the creator, we are able to easily avoid these annoying thorns in our holiday saddles. With the following proven techniques, there is almost no way that worry and stress can creep up on you.
1) Understand the balderdash: There are going to be a lot of buzz words flying around this Thanksgiving, some of them including the classic terms, “cholesterol” and “calories.” It is crucial to understand that good things often bear with them bad connotations. The previous terms are both parts of the human body that are necessary for survival. If a person has no calories and no cholesterol intake, they die. Stay educated on the meaning of words that are intended to cause stress and worry; this will help you stay calm.
2) Remember moderation: Eating food is not bad. Eating a LOT of food on Thanksgiving is not bad. Eating Thanksgiving portions of food every day is bad. Though we are called to do everything in moderation, it is important to remember that it is not a sin, nor is it a crime, to splurge and eat a ton of food during Thanksgiving. No one has ever died from eating too much turkey, and it won’t cause any type of rapid weight gain. Studies show that the average American will eat over half of his or her daily allotted calories at Thanksgiving dinner, meaning, by the time the last piece of pumpkin pie is consumed on Thanksgiving evening, you will most likely exceed your daily limit of calories and cholesterol. But not to worry. So long as your everyday diet is healthy and calculated appropriately, your body will work a little overtime to take care of the excess and you’ll be just fine.
3) Keep the purpose in focus: Thanksgiving is not about eating. Thanksgiving is not about family. Thanksgiving is not about turkey. Thanksgiving, very simply, is about giving thanks for our blessings. While these may include eating, family and turkey, they are not the focus. So when Thanksgiving comes around, the most important way to beat the stress and worry is to remember that the thanks should come first. The turkey will work itself out, place settings will be fine – instead focus on contemplating the bounty for which we are giving thanks.
Stress and worry are tactics of the enemy. They creep into our mind, instill doubt and fear, and take away from the joy that Thanksgiving can be. So this Thanksgiving, make a list of what you’re thankful for, hang it up next to the stove and think about it whenever those tendrils of stress and worry begin to appear. Things may go awry, food may burn, but the joy will remain constant. And come on, no matter how bad something turns out, it can’t be any worse than my Great Aunt Zilbogey’s famous dead turkey ice cream cobbler.
