Holidays Away - How to Cope

It's hard not to be home for holidays. When I moved away for college, I managed to get back to my family for all of the holidays for the first year, but then the second year, I missed Easter. In my family, we spend every holiday together, so even though Easter isn't a big one for many people, it's a big one for me- all of them are!

When my grandmother found out I would be spending my first holiday away from home, she went right to work and put together a special care package for me. I got it the day before, with orders not to open it until Sunday morning. So, while my family had all gotten together for a huge Easter dinner, I opened the box. She had sent me Spam, boxed potatoes, a can of green beans, and a baggie of jelly beans and chocolates - Easter dinner in a box.

Since that first Easter, I have tried to make it home for holidays, but sometimes it just doesn't happen. Here are some ways to try to get through the holidays when you're missing your family.

Spend them with friends. Friends are family, too, I've come to realize over the years, and while you might miss your blood relatives, having friends around will no doubt take some of the sting out of the holiday. Get everyone together and have a big dinner, exchange presents if it's appropriate. Tell stories about past holidays, or play games. Make foods that you've never attempted to make before, and have your friends try them! There are many ways that you and your friends can have an enjoyable holiday, even if you're all away from home.

Many restaurants also offer a holiday meal. They'll cook everything, and usually the restaurant is decorated for the holiday, too. This is a good alternative if you really don't want to cook for yourself and you don't have friends around. You'll still be surrounded by people.

As small as it is, calling your family on the holiday while they're all together is a good idea, too. It's not the same as being there, but you can talk briefly with everyone all at once, and wish them happy holidays. I try to do this whenever I know my family will be together and I can't be there.

Another thing you can do on holidays is to volunteer at homeless shelters. The people here obviously aren't with their families for the holidays either, but you can brighten theirs up by going in and serving food, cooking, and participating in what tend to be big events for those shelters. A small amount of time can make a big difference to someone you don't know, and that's really what the holiday spirit can be about.