Family the Old Fashioned Way

So many of us have moved away from family or had to take a job where we know no one.  Some of us have made the decision to move to family.  It could be for any number of reasons.  Maybe your parents are getting older, maybe you need help with the kids, the reasons are too numerous to share.  Family, the good, the bad and the ugly, are a part of our lives.  I say an important cog in our machines.

Family to me is wonderful, even in the bad times.  We may not always agree about everything, but when the chips are down, we come together and help each other.  Family disagreements are the worst and always affect us the most.  We are not perfect and we all have different personalities and that affects the way we do family.  

I say, as hard as it can be, embrace the family you have as much as you can.  We all have someone in our families that drive us nuts.  So maybe we have to limit our time with those people or avoid them at the Christmas party.  We still have to deal with our families. 

I know I have struggled with this, my brother and I don't get along and I am not proud of that.  I pray about it daily.  Scott is one of six kids and when we all get together, it can be chaotic and crazy.  We still all get together.  We have to love and pray for our family, even if they drive us crazy.  That is what families do.

Two generations ago, most families lived in close proximity to each other and helped each other with their every day lives.  Some even lived in the same house.  Most lived in the same house, it was just how families operated.  I think we have strayed too far from that.  We get so wrapped up in our everyday lives that we forget to interact.  Or we are stranded far away from those who care the most for us and feel isolated.  Either way, we need our families.  The good, the bad, the ugly, we need them.  We learn our best life lessons from our family.  Embrace the chaos and wonderfulness of your family.

So what's up with your family?  Let me know.

God bless you and yours.

Time with Family

Good, bad or ugly, tomorrow is Thanksgiving.  I will be cooking all day, and I truly enjoy doing it.  Time to spend some time with family.  This can be challenging.  Maybe you don't like Great Aunt Ida or your sister-in-law hates your guts.  We still have to be in the same space together for a period of time tomorrow.  What's my advice?  Kill them with kindness.  Let everything roll off your back until you or they leave.  

Think about it, what memories of this day do you want your children to have?  The adults glaring at each other over the crescent rolls or smiling.  Look, you either married into the family or he married into yours and both of you have some crazies in the closet.  Every person walking this earth has a crazy in their family.  I say embrace the crazies, they make the holidays memorable.  You don't have to see these people 24/7, just a couple of times a year.  

Tomorrow as the family gathers, try to find at least one good thing about everyone, even the person who makes it their personal goal to find fault with you.  It can be fun and you will have a small smile on your face.  Maybe Aunt Ida is full of vinegar, but she makes the babies smile.  Maybe your sister-in-law hates your guts, but she loves your children.  Every person has good qualities, try to focus on those tomorrow.  I know this can be a challenge and require a little glass of wine to fortify, but all things in moderation and all that.

I hope you have a wonderfully crazy holiday tomorrow.  I am taking the rest of the week off to focus on family and the black friday sales.  God bless you and yours.