5 Yummy Advantages Of Being Single During The Holidays

Holiday time for singles can be just plain torture, like fingernails on a chalk board. But when I was single, I actually looked forward to the holidays. Sound crazy? It's not!

As a dating coach for women over 40, I would love for more singles to realize the true benefits and fun of being solo for the season. Let me share five reasons why I totally enjoyed Thanksgiving and the holidays as a single woman.

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1. I had the freedom to choose who I wanted to spend Thanksgiving with. When I was single, I was totally on my own. My parents had moved to Florida and while I had a brother, I decided to review my options for where to spend my holidays. This was so much easier than having to negotiate with a boyfriend or husband on where to have Thanksgiving dinner.

When I opened up to the idea that I wasn't going to spend time with family, so many options became available. Sharing that I was a "holiday orphan" created a rush of invitations from friends. Over the years, I created my own ritual, visiting two or three people in the same day. This made me feel like a welcomed celebrity rather than a single woman with nowhere to go. I had a blast.

2. I was free from spending time with boring or obnoxious in-laws. I spent time with dear friends and enjoyed their families and friends tremendously. They might have had family issues — but it wasn't my family! That left me free to talk to whomever I wanted, move around the room, and keep myself engaged in interesting conversation.

3. My time was my own. That is, I had the freedom to arrive or leave the Thanksgiving gathering when it suited me. As a single woman, I didn’t have a boyfriend or husband telling me when to arrive or when to leave. I was in charge of my schedule based entirely on how things were going and what else I had planned. As long as I honored the hostess’s invitation, I could do whatever moved me.

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4. I didn't have to worry whether my significant other was having a good time. Being single, I only had myself to be concerned with. While singles see this as a bummer, at Thanksgiving it was a huge relief for me. There is nothing worse than having a great time which is interrupted by someone else's idea of fun or, for that matter, their idea of what isn't a good time. Without a husband or boyfriend, I was a free agent for the day which felt great. Continue reading ...

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