Family and the Holidays
The holiday season is in full swing! With Thanksgiving having come and gone and a few more major holidays approaching such as Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa, spending time with family is unavoidable. For some, this is a dream come true, but for others, a family reunion is the straw that would break the camel’s back.
I fortunately enjoy spending the holidays with my immediate family as we have been pretty close-knit for the majority of my life. With all my siblings and I being high-school age and above, I found that we all get along even more now. However, there are still those moments where I find myself looking to an invisible camera to be sure I heard an interaction correctly.
I know not many people could say the same for their relationships with their immediate families, and the holidays sometimes only amplify an already existing disconnect. It does not help that holidays are often more stressful than we expect them to be so the fuses tied to our heads have a much shorter burning time before they blow—and when they blow, boy, do they blow.
Some advice I can give you might not seem the most helpful, but it has gotten me this far: breathe. Someone made a comment on your appearance? Breathe and remember you are more than what you look like. Someone said something completely out of pocket? Breathe and count to ten so you can avoid snapping back something equally out of pocket.
Taking a moment to close your eyes and breathe makes all the difference. You will get through your holidays a few deep breaths at a time.
