Holidays (or anytime) With Family

This is a difficult post to make.  I don’t know about you but when I think of the holidays (or anytime of year), I want the idealistic family being together laughing together and full of love.  Is this your reality?  For many of us, it gratefully is.  For others of us, it is not.  Spending time with family can be the emotional equivalent of having multiple root canals without pain medication.  It can send the most committed of us straight to the mashed potatoes followed by pieces of pie and baked treats.  I have people that I work with that are already emotionally eating in anticipation of spending the holidays with family.   It doesn’t have to though. 

Acknowledge from your past experiences how the dynamics may occur.  Don’t expect the fantasy family of your dreams.  You’ll set yourself up.  Chances are that the interactions will play out the same as they have in the past.  Of course, there are exceptions to this, however, usually the get-togethers stay the same.  If the interactions are challenging to you, just remember, this period of get-together time will pass.  However, the time you enjoy your life endures.

All of us are born with our own unique gifts and are our own person.  Sometimes in our family of origin, we weren’t understood or appreciated.  Many times, if we were different in some way and danced to the beat of our own wants and desires, we were made to feel defective or something was wrong with us.  That just isn’t so!  Use this time to stay strong and prove to yourself that you believe in yourself and the life you live today as an adult. 

Believe In Yourself,
Cathy