[Note from Frolic: We’re so excited to have author Carly Phillips guest posting on the site today! She’s taking all about surviving the holidays!]
The holiday season means different things to different people. Extrovert? You love the parties and mingling with people and family. Introvert? You’re dreaming about curling into a ball and hiding until the tree is packed away and all the people around you and in the shopping malls go home. But regardless of who you are, you need to find a way to cope with the season and all the socializing that comes with it.
I have mixed feelings about the holidays. At first, I love them. I enjoy the cheery songs, the television commercials, the fun, festive feeling and the pictures on Facebook and the idea of snow and white stuff sprinkling down from the sky. And then slowly, insidiously, reality surfaces. Out of the blue, I’m tired of the same songs over and over on TV and the radio and in stores. Everywhere I go, it’s too crowded. What are all these people doing in my shopping mall, anyway? And no, I don’t want to drive in the snow, step in brown mush and deal with heavy jackets and boots. And family? That’s another story altogether for me …
But like it or not, ‘tis the season, so buckle up and get ready. For me, over the years I’ve gone from 20 people at my table to 5 this year and it’s sad. As much anxiety that comes with serving that many people, it’s still nice to know I’m surrounded by family. Since I’m not going to have that this year, I asked some of my fellow author friends how they suggested we cope with the influx of family that comes with the holidays. I’m not exactly sure that they want me to share their names given that many of them wrote back with one word: alcohol. But what are friends for?