fandomhigh | Dealing With Other People's Trauma, Tuesday 11/25

“There's a holiday coming up this week,” Stark said. “On Thursday. One that is often spent with families. Some of us don't have families. Others might have difficult families. Others may have trauma about holidays or families or both. So this time of year when there are so many celebrations where people focus on families can be very hard.”

“I made cranberry cupcakes,” he added. “If anyone would like one. Or more than one. That's fine.”

“So, sometimes the holidays are hard because you have no family. Nowhere to go. Maybe you used to have somewhere or used to have family and don't any longer. Or maybe…maybe you were able to be with someone else's family before but that's not possible at this time. Maybe you just can't go home right now. Or ever, maybe. There are many reasons for all of those things.”

“So…are any of you celebrating? I'm not, this year, as far as I know. It's not my holiday but I do enjoy the food. But then none of the holidays here are really mine at all, really. Which can be hard. But I borrow some of them.”

Stark paused then, looking at the cupcakes contemplatively for a long moment.

“It you know someone who has trouble with holidays, are there ways to help, do you think? Invite them to share yours if you celebrate? Do something unrelated together? Simply express that you know things are hard? Try to help them some other way? Take them away somewhere? And what if they have trouble with family? Do you…share your family?”

Stark wasn't sure what the right answer was for him, even, but it could make for a good discussion. Maybe.

"This holiday is about being thankful. At least in part. Maybe one of the best ways to help someone would be simply letting them know you're thankful they are in your life?"

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Thankful.
Or the opposite.

Want to talk about issues you might have with family or holidays? Or maybe how to help someone else with their own issues? Or just share something you might be doing for this holiday?

Or you can eat a cupcake they look and smell really good.

Who right now is kind of wishing he'd thought to plan something...

Am I counting down the minutes until I am free of feral children and absurd adults? YES I AM.

Henry of Skalitz

"I don't know the holiday," Henry admitted. "But it... sounds nice. Family and food, what's not to enjoy? Well. Unless like you said," he continued, the new thought falling in halfway through the old, "You have trouble with family," like, say, a set of dead parents he was trying very hard not to think about, "or no family at all, and, ah..."

Yeah, he had no immediate bullshit solutions.

"Suppose everyone like that could come together and do something, aye? Maybe. So you don't have the whole 'oh, my happy family is right here'..."

He trailed off.

"Some people do things like that," Stark agreed. "Call it Friendsgiving instead of Thanksgiving. Or maybe do something totally unrelated as a group? Even a small one. That could be nice, I think. And...it is a nice idea for a holiday, isn't it?"

"I've certainly heard a lot worse," Henry said, nodding. "... Have you ever had one? A Friendsgiving?"

Stark shook his head. "No. I haven't. I've gone to dinners with other people's families but never done something like that here. Maybe for next year."

"Might be some interest if you do one next year," Henry said, with an idle shrug.

No reason. He was fine.

"I'll remember that," Stark said.

"Though, I suppose, it doesn't have to be the same time, does it? It could simply be something another day."

There were lots of empty days ahead.

"We could even do a meal for class," Henry mused.

Thinking along here! It was only partly because he loved free food.

Stark grinned at Henry, nodding in approval.

"I like that. Good idea. I'm sure we could do something...I could do something. Or everyone, all of us...we have a couple of classes left..."

Dealing With Other People's Trauma, Tuesday 11/25

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