The Christmas Loneliness thread 2015

Hi I thought Id kick start this years Christmas loneliness thread a bit early.

I'll be alone. Family are going to a big meal at a restaurant. I'm not welcome. There's a possibility of homelessness too. So I might spend it under Chelsea bridge or something.

Hi,
You need a 3rd choice in there - "Don't know yet". I never know until last minute Christmas Day who I'll be with or what I'm doing, and it usually ends up being a lot of nothing. Last year I took my kid to a park downtown since it was sunny and warm. I couldn't believe how many other people were there just hanging around too.
The year before I invited an old friend who has no family over, I made lunch, we ate together and we watched TV. Maybe I'll do that again this year.

-Teresa

I will actually be both alone and not alone. I go to family gatherings in the morning, but then my ex takes the kids and I'm alone for the other half of Christmas. That is, of course, when he decides to take them.

Christmas is starting earlier and earlier each year; on AND off the forum!

I don't think the supermarkets have started yet so I thought I would beat them.

cumulus.james said:

I don't think the supermarkets have started yet so I thought I would beat them.

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I think I've seen a few adverts from supermarkets already banging on about Christmas.

I don't mind seeing Christmas stuff out early but I'm into Dia de los Muertos/ Day of the Dead at the moment, which comes on November 1-2. Lots of sugar skulls around my house and about to look for some marigolds and maybe set up an altar this year.
Then Christmas.

-Teresa

I don't think I will be alone but I don't have my invite yet. Every year I spend it with my brother and SIL and her mom and my nephew. I do think I would be alone if not for the requirement that my nephew needs people to give him gifts (which I love to do).

But where is the birthday thread because mine is this weekend and I definitely will be alone

cumulus.james said:

I don't think the supermarkets have started yet so I thought I would beat them.

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I saw artificial christmas trees for sale in a store, earlier this week. Seemed rather early to me but i don't pay much attention so maybe they are always on display by now.

The stores I frequent started setting out Christmas stuff as early as mid-September this year, which is about a month earlier than last year. I wish they'd at least wait until Halloween is over. I'd like to savor one holiday at a time.

It'll be my 91 yr old mother and my 62 yr old self for Christmas just like it's been the last 14 yrs since dad died, good riddance to him.

I'll decorate the artificial tree with the same 'heirloom' items we've used since we were an actual 5 person family.

I'll probably make some kind of pastries for breakfast and curry for dinner. There will be 1 present each. My 2 brothers will send an email.

She'll weep for the pathetic remnant of the family that once was. I'll pretend to be sympathetic but won't forget how we all pretended to be cheery on those Christmases past before the family broke up.

constant stranger said:

It'll be my 91 yr old mother and my 62 yr old self for Christmas just like it's been the last 14 yrs since dad died, good riddance to him.

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Been there. When my elderly parents were alive I had to take them out for dinner because they couldn't come to my home (three flights of stairs) and I couldn't use their kitchen to cook... I suck at gas cooking. So where do you go on xmas? Chinese food, which, they hated. What a lonely horrible time. We all knew it sucked that it had come to this.

Last year the media made a big deal over people being lonely over Christmas, I wonder if it'll be the same this year.

9006 said:

Last year the media made a big deal over people being lonely over Christmas, I wonder if it'll be the same this year.

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I do wish there was some way to find lonely people.. maybe there is and I just can't find it. One of my favorite "christmas" movies is "About a boy". I just love the end of it, how several people are all over their home for a shared Christmas holday. And all of them are pretty cool people but their x-mas was better because they shared it.

Most likely with my close family. But even there, I will feel lonely

LonelySutton said:

I do wish there was some way to find lonely people.. maybe there is and I just can't find it....

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That is an interesting question. Two Christmases ago, a woman in my town who had been abused as a child advertised for a "mom and dad" she could rent for the holiday.

http://archive.news10.net/news/loca...-to-rent-family-for-holidays-using-Craigslist

From the story: "For the first time Jackie isn't alone with her feelings of abandonment.
"People are afraid to open their mouths and say, 'This hurts, this sucks'," she said, crying."


She got dozens of offers from people willing to open their doors to her and she also said that over a thousand people contacted her to tell her similar stories - they were also abused by their families and had no one during the holidays.
If I were completely alone and without my daughter, I would consider something like that.
The (Craigslist) cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek.

-Teresa

SofiasMami said:

The (Craigslist) cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek.

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I would be afraid of Craigslist. True story and maybe this is the Midwest mindset. I moved to Michigan for school just before thanksgiving (I was starting in January) I was buying a turkey swanson for thanksgiving. The cashier invited me for dinner with her family. I was just freaked and blown away. I declined, it was my first, turkey day alone and I kind of wanted to be alone, but some people are just very kind.

That kind of thing would never happen where I live now (northeast).

Maybe we should start an app.

ETA lookie what I found. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/18/dining-app_n_3942874.html

LonelySutton said:

SofiasMami said:

The (Craigslist) cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek.

Click to expand...

I would be afraid of Craigslist.

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Craigslist is for dirty things.

LonelySutton said:

9006 said:

Last year the media made a big deal over people being lonely over Christmas, I wonder if it'll be the same this year.

Click to expand...

I do wish there was some way to find lonely people.. maybe there is and I just can't find it. One of my favorite "christmas" movies is "About a boy". I just love the end of it, how several people are all over their home for a shared Christmas holday. And all of them are pretty cool people but their x-mas was better because they shared it.

Click to expand...

Two of my best Christmases since i've been alone have been at a huge gathering for around 200 elderly people who had no family nor friends and they were brought into this centre where we cooked a traditional Christmas meal for them, sat down, held their hands and talked to them, played silly games, gave them presents and hugs when they left to go back to their lonely homes, a little brighter for having had some company and care for just that one day. If you can find something like that it's the best, most rewarding way to spend Christmas and I guarantee you'll enjoy it even more than the people you are there for.

LonelySutton said:

SofiasMami said:

The (Craigslist) cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek.

Click to expand...

I would be afraid of Craigslist. True story and maybe this is the Midwest mindset. I moved to Michigan for school just before thanksgiving (I was starting in January) I was buying a turkey swanson for thanksgiving. The cashier invited me for dinner with her family. I was just freaked and blown away. I declined, it was my first, turkey day alone and I kind of wanted to be alone, but some people are just very kind.

That kind of thing would never happen where I live now (northeast).

Maybe we should start an app.

ETA lookie what I found. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/18/dining-app_n_3942874.html

Click to expand...

That's awesome they have apps like that! If I wasn't so chicken I'd want to try that. I'm a big Foodie.