By orphans I’m including everyone who can’t spend Christmas with their family, whatever the reason. Maybe they live on another continent, maybe they’re insufferable, maybe you don’t know them, maybe all of the above and you don’t have kids, whatever. The end result is: you don’t have a family to spend Christmas with.

I’m in this situation. And I don’t know anyone well enough (newish city and country) to crash someone else’s family Christmas.

Wondering how people in that situation deal with it so that maybe I can find something that’d work for me to tide me over this challenging part of the year.

Additional context: SO is really into it, feels bad when we treat it as just another day, so I feel the pressure to figure something out.

I’m reading every answer you share but not necessarily answer unless I have a follow up question or something meaningful to add.

What have you been doing lately for your own fitness? Try out any new programs or exercises? Have any questions for others about your training? Want to vent about poor behavior in the gym? Started a new diet or have a new recipe you want to share? Anything else health and wellness related?

Now well into my thirties, it's kind of the time in my life where I reflect on myself and realize how weirdly developped I am. Being in a real serious relationship has highlighted personal issues with me I thought were normal and it has led to me thinking back on my childhood and I realized that there were a lot of things I didn't address.

I'm on a waiting list for a therapist and in the meantime, I was kinda doing my own research and found this book, which I felt was oddly appropriate to describe my parents. I thought ah, it could explain some of my behavior.

Now, having almost finished the book, it's crazy how eye-opening it has been. You don't realize how much of your own development is tied to emotions, feeling safe expressing them, feeling you are listened to, feeling support from your parents. I always thought life was more a matter of forming deep relationships based on trust rather than emotional sensitivity.

It made me realize that I had these "healing fantasies" over some friends I lost and my parents. That I was playing "someone else" to somehow win them over. When I thought back on it, my behavior around them really is different than how I am with others, in a way that is kinda draining and... not really me.

Anyways, I'm wondering, for those who read it, how has it changed your life?

I genuinely think my whole life path will be completely different because of this book.