It’s that time of year again, the holidays. For most this time of year is a Season of love and happiness. A time for traditions, get togethers, and a time of togetherness with loved ones.
But for some of us, it’s a time of struggle. A reminder of the family we wish we had, and the activities we want to participate in, but we can’t.
We know sitting on a list, waiting to be matched can feel endless and daunting.
We know you’re yearning for more, we know your pain, we feel it too.
But you can survive this holiday season, maybe even enjoy it too!
Here are our five suggestions on how to survive the holidays, while you wait to be matched:
- Work on traditions
- Identify what traditions you want to have with your dream family. Maybe they are old family traditions you want to continue, or maybe you want to create new traditions. Whatever you choose, identify them and try them out this year with just you and your current family scenario. Yes, it might sting a little the first time, but think of this year as a “practice run”. You never know, you may discover something new that sparks new light in your spirit!
- Fundraise
- The holidays are a great time to fundraise. Remember when we were in school and did those Gift Wrap fundraisers? Why not try something like this to help fund your own Surrogacy journey? Try a Puzzle Fundraiser, or maybe make something homemade and sell to friends and family. If your not crafty, try a gift wrapping service, or personal shopping services.Everyone is overwhelmed during the Holidays, and there are tons of ways you can help someone else, (but charge a small fee to help yourself too). Surrogacy is expensive, and every penny counts.
- Find your own Surrogate
- Putting yourself out there can be scary, but you never know who you will meet or what you will find. Take some cute holiday pictures, write a blurb on what you’re looking for in a Surrogate and post it on Social Media. Ask family and friends, to share. Or make a short video on who you are and that you’re looking for a Surrogate. Not sure what to do or how to do it? Ask us! We can assist you in making one, or make one for you! We want to help you find your match!
- Have a Random year
- Do something random this year. Just because the holidays are here, doesn’t mean you have to participate (and that’s okay). Or maybe you don’t participate the way you normally would. Use this time of year to travel somewhere you’ve been wanting to go! Stay at a friends house you haven’t seen in a while instead of your parents house. Make a non-traditional meal this year instead of your usual. Maybe this year isn’t going to end the way you thought, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make something great out of it. Use this year as the one year you could do whatever you wanted, that maybe you normally couldn’t get away with.
- Take Care of Yourself
- Do something just for you. Whether it is something fun like ice skating, making a new recipe, getting a massage or curling up and reading a book. Do what you need to do to do some self-care. The holidays are called “holidays” because it means you should take a little vacation from your day to day.
However you decide to survive the upcoming holidays, know we are here for you in any way. We have a community of Intended Parents that would be happy to connect with you! You’re never alone in this journey.