Deb Trotter, Cowboy's Sweetheart

Everyone has a bullet to dodge on Thanksgiving Day.

You may not recognize holiday stress a ‘bullet,’ but in Cowgirl-Cowboy lingo, that’s what it is. And every single bullet can prevent Thanksgiving from being what it is supposed to be:  a warm & fuzzy holiday.

Thanksgiving Bullets come in many sizes – from downright tiny (irritating, but manageable) to massive (painful, and almost impossible to ‘remove’ without damage). Here are the bullets you should avoid and how to stop them …

1. The Family Bullet

For some of us, the bullet is a member of our family:  the snooty aunt, who makes depricating comments about the lumps in the gravy … or your Dad, who drinks just a bit too much wine with that Thanksgiving turkey and says things he doesn’t really mean. The Family Bullet is a deadly weapon, but you’re pretty familiar with its dangers. Have a good sense of humor when it comes your way.

2. The Stress Bullet

Stress is a pretty nasty bullet too. I’ve been shot by this rascal one too many times. As a die-hard Cowboy might say, “Okay. You asked fer it!” And before you know it, you’re full of lead. Silly, stupid lead, because the Stress Bullet is something YOU shoot at YOURSELF. Here’s how it goes …

You don’t have time to get your Christmas tree up and decorated. Maybe you don’t have enough silverware, or you’re missing a coffee cup in that service for eight. You forgot to pick up the wine, or you realize you’re out of butter. Out of butter on Thanksgiving? Say it isn’t so!

But guess what? Most of the time no one really cares about everything being perfect but YOU. So there is no excuse for being shot by stress. Let it go.

3. The Five Pound Bullet

We can’t leave out the Five Pound Bullet. It’s actually the food itself. You heard me, pardner. The turkey & dressing with gravy.  The cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, green beans, and pumpkin pie. You eat just a little bit of everything, and you’re dead before you know it. (Must have been that extra helping of sweet potato casserole you couldn’t resist.)

I learned long ago how to avoid the Five Pound Bullet when a good friend reminded me of two things:  1. If you feel that bad afterward, it’s not worth the taste … and 2. It’s not a crime to throw away leftovers!

4. The Guilt Bullet

Finally, we have the Guilt Bullet, the one forged from tradition. You live on one side of the country, and your family lives on the other – so your parents are spending their Thanksgiving alone for the very first time (What kind of daughter AM I?” you ask yourself.) Or you try to break with tradition … this year you’ve decided to make ham instead of turkey and forgo the broccoli casserole. Your son goes to the buffet to fill his plate and exclaims, “What? NO TURKEY?” And even YOU recognize that it’s just not the same.

Congratulations. You’ve just been shot through the heart. The Guilt Bullet is the one I have had the most trouble dodging. But I’m getting better at it.

This week not one of those four Thanksgiving Bullets can ‘locate’ me anymore. I have mastered the art of the ‘dodge.’ Here’s how I choose to do it …

1. Family Bullet … I invite friends to join us. We all share stories about each of our families and traditions. They bring food to share. And life is good.

2. Stress Bullet … I don’t worry anymore about whether we eat off of fine china or paper plates. If I happen to get the Christmas tree up, great. If not, big deal. And the stress is all but gone.

3. Five Pound Bullet … I don’t pile on the food anymore. By the time I have sampled a tiny bit of everything I’m full. No more “staving children in China” (remember that?Five Pound Bullets!

4.  Guilt Bullet … I make my own traditions while assuring my family that I will respect theirs. A phone call to my relatives in North Carolina helps keep this bullet at bay. Guilt now is in the same category as leftovers … it’s okay to toss it in the trash.

As for you, my friend … dodge those bullets and ENJOY your Thanksgiving!

I plan on doing the same.

Happy Trails!

Tags: Holidays

This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 25th, 2009 at 1:00 am and is filed under Art and Life, Blogs for Artists, Digital Art, Food and Drink, Holidays, Western Cowgirl Art. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.