The holidays pretty much bite the big red one if you don't have a family. You've got all the ads and Hallmark holiday specials and heartwarming Christmas movies grinding the image of family get-togethers and festive reunions right into your face. 'Tis the season to feel lonely. Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la.
I used to really, really like Thanksgiving and Christmas. Now ... ah well. It's amazing what happens when you discover your real family amounts to just one person.
And I do have one person. I have my husband. And he only has me. So we'll be thankful for that, and the life we have together. After all, he or I could be in a scavenged refrigerator box under a bridge someplace, looking forward to a secondhand coat and some tinned turkey down at the Salvation Army. So I'll smile and nod when I hear people complaining about the long waits at the airports to go visit their loved ones in whatever warm, cozy homes they live in far away from here.