It's been a hot minute since a lot of us traveled for the holidays, but here we are! Thanksgiving is around the corner with all kinds of associated joy and angst. This week at Forbes, "Daughter Gone Rogue" wrote in to ask:
I love her pseudonym! Making hard and fast decisions about supporting our own healthy choices is, indeed, rogue. Daughter Gone Rogue is really asking a two-part question: How can I stay healthy, and how can I help the people I love get healthier too? The answer is rooted in respect on both sides, respect for her own autonomy and that of her folks. I offer three specific steps to help her protect her own choices and pique her family's curiosity about what changes might feel good (and manageable) for them, too. "This 'rogue' version of you has an opportunity to protect your own interests and engage your family in new possibilities simultaneously—by walking your walk, right in the middle of their holiday shenanigans." I'm heading to Los Angeles for Thanksgiving with my son halfway vaccinated—finally! He'll get his second shot the day after we return home, and I'm not sure I can think of anything to be more thankful for than that. My heart is with those of you with little ones still waiting for approval. If you want to chat with me about the holidays or anything else, drop me a line. Stay safe, and go rogue!
Sarah
Speaking of angst, my 10 year old has just discovered the band Imagine Dragons, so we've had the songs on autorepeat over here. It's kind of a dude band, so I hadn't given them much thought before, but when you find yourself walking around singing "It's okay to be not okay" to a catchy tune, I'd say that's a pretty good thing. If you need a skip in your step on any of these topics, here are some songs for your listening pleasure over Thanksgiving! Lonely It's Okay (To Be Not Okay) No Time For Toxic People (It's A Beautiful Day)
And speaking of joy, some of you probably know I've been working on my handstand over here... not so much for fitness reasons as for identity reasons. I've always been someone (in my own mind, anyway) who can do a handstand and a cartwheel, and when I discovered during the pandemic I'd lost that ability due to a bum shoulder, I decided to get it back. Now it's a playful daily ritual, something that brings me a little dose of confidence and joy in under a minute flat. Someone recently sent me an article in The New York Times called If Life Has You Down, Do A Handstand. The author writes, "At 42... I practice handstands as a way to let go." Handstands might not be your thing at all, but it can be helpful to pick a quick daily routine that grounds you in your body and in a spirit of play—even (and especially) when everything else seems upside down.
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