As we approach a holiday week, we need to acknowledge that though our celebrations this year may be different, they are still important. More than that, we are important. This year, many of us may be alone due to social distancing and quarantines. Or, we may connect with family and friends virtually rather than in person.
Whatever our holidays look like, we need to take time to celebrate those things that are meaningful to us. While it may take a little creativity to shift the holiday activities that we’ve always enjoyed, it is possible to continue with some of the traditions we have come to love.
Now is not the time to throw away those things that are important to us whether they are holiday traditions, people in our lives, or, most especially, our recoveries. Celebrating the holidays, if that’s what we like to do, needs to continue as does our recovery from food addiction.
For many of us when first getting into recovery, re-inventing our holidays so that they didn’t revolve around food presented a special challenge. Now that we’ve done this, we can further re-structure our holidays so that they work for us during this time.
On the other hand, if the upcoming holiday doesn’t mean anything to you then it’s important to acknowledge that as well. No one should be forced to celebrate if that’s not something that matters to them.
The bottom line is that we need to honor ourselves and our lives in a way that works for us and supports our recoveries.
Happy Easter and Happy Passover to everyone who chooses to celebrate!