Christmas can be a tough time for families. It can bring up so many memories, some beautiful, some not-so-much. If your past Christmases have involved awkward family clashes, it’s going to be really important to carve out a strategy for maintaining your peace of soul during this special time. For yourself but also for your kids and for the way you want them to remember a family Christmas.
Here’s your gentle reminder that:
- You don’t have to do all the things, buy all the presents or cook all the turkeys and fruit cakes. You can opt for cold meat, salad and everyone brings a plate.
- You can give your time, your attention, your support instead of a physical gift.
- You don’t have to defend, explain or justify anything that someone else disagrees with.
- Relationships are more important than issues. If there’s a hot topic that gets everyone riled up, you don’t have to go there. Walking away is not the coward’s way out; it’s the peace-lover’s strategy for maintaining friendships.
- You don’t have to fill your calendar up with commitments and projects. You can maintain as much white space in that calendar as you choose.
- You can turn off your phone and walk away from the internet for hours, days, weeks even. It will be there when you come back.
- You can protect and support the emotional needs of yourself and those around you during this busy season.
- You can prioritise the things that matter to your immediate family, even if they don’t matter to extended family and friends.
- You can pass the camera to someone else and get yourself in the shot.
- You can choose to take a few photos and then put the camera away.
- You can have a perfectly imperfect Christmas that is shared exclusively in the intimacy of your family and circle of close friends.
Wishing a blessed and peaceful Christmas to you and yours.
