Jingle Bell Rock. Santa Baby. Rocking Around the Christmas Tree. These are all holiday songs that’ll make you gag. That is, if you’re single and (slightly) bitter. Also, the thought of spotting a mistletoe and the thought of sitting through another holiday family dinner can make just about any single person want to pull their hair out. And when you’re a single mom, well, that feeling can easily be multiplied.
Last holiday season was the first year in a long time that I was single. And I was reminded of my solo status all the time. Everywhere I turned, there were couples. Happy couples. Overly happy couples. Wearing matching outfits. Cuddling. Ice skating hand-in-hand while wearing their matching outfits. I couldn’t help but to notice them. It was like holiday romance on steroids. Sheesh, talk about overkill!
But, since it was also the first holiday season that I was a single mom, I decided to pay less attention to the couples and their relationship status, and more attention to my little family of two and my relationship status. And so, I decided to embrace being a single mother by showing my son that it’s okay to enjoy the holidays with just us two. And you know what? It was okay. Here are some reasons why:
1. I didn’t have to make a list (and check it twice) of all the things my son’s other parent wanted. Sure there was no one to buy me a special gift, but with all the extra cash that I would have spent on a beau, I used it on Aiden and me. Buy an extra pair of Steve Madden’s over-the-knee boots? Don’t mind if I do!
2. I didn’t have to coordinate schedules with anyone else in order to plan something festive and fun for my son and me. Sounds selfish, but it’s true. Whenever I had time off from grad school or work, I’d pick Aiden up, pack a bag for both of us, and we just went places. To Rockefeller Center. To visit Santa at the Belvedere Castle in Central Park. Through 5th Avenue. To say that it was beautiful and magical is an understatement.
3. I decorated my apartment in holiday décor the way that I wanted to decorate it. There was no one to say, “Put the Christmas tree in this corner,” “The garland should hang like this,” “That color combination looks weird.” (Ugh… shut the eff up!)
Read my other three reasons over on the REDBOOK Blog.
Happy Holidays!
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteCouples with matching outfits? That really is overkill. I would never be caught matching my significant other.
ReplyDeleteThose are definitely good reasons to enjoy singleness around the holidays. Saving money on the extra gifts is awesome, esp. in this economy. I also love the spontaneity it can afford you.
ReplyDelete