Ban YOUR Imminent Holiday Horror Story - 3 Blazing Tips to a Stress-free Easter or Purim Family Gathering
Morning all,
Today is Easter and Purim!
And you know what that means:
Family!
At the holidays!
In other words, possible (dare I breathe it)
STRESS!
Oh, just THINK on the ecstatic joys of spending 18 hours cooking the Easter dinner! or the Purim feast! only to encounter family members with children who could double as surly Minotaurs, relatives whose idea of helping out is NOT stepping on the dropped salad flung their by their darling children, people whose idea of Live and Let Live ends when where someone else’s opinion’s differ from theirs, etc.etc.etc.!
Yes, I know, "Joy" is too bland a word to fully convey the utter ferocious agony you experience while you bravely attempt to control your bubbling frustration and anger happy bouncy emotions that run rampant through your very being. Right? 
Luckily in my family, I solved the issue of unappreciative children years ago; we simply go to the local Chinese buffet and enjoy the nice yummy food about which no complaints of "Mom, it’s ADULT food, where’s my peanut butter and jelly sandwich?" emerges. Truly, it’s a wondrous way of maintaining peace and joy. :) And because my kids and relatives adore one another, family angst is never an issue.
However, I do recognize that family dysfunctions more bizarre than pink elephants high-kicking in the Rockette’s line do happen…and so for today, I’d like to give you these 3 tips for maintaining your slowly dissolving sanity during family gatherings.
1.) Remember, it takes 2 to fight.
Some people are never fully at peace with themselves until they get a rise out of you. My favorite way for dealing with this is to say:
"Thank you for your input!"
and smile quite graciously. By choosing NOT to verbally "fight", I immediately decimate any satisfaction the other person might have gained by instigating an argument. And because this is more maddening to said belligerent person than a hornet-stung warthog, I am graced with the satisfaction (which I’ll never admit, of course) of really pissing them off.
2.) Make sure to have kid-friendly foods.
Yes, I know, I hardly ever cater to spoiled children either…but in this case, it’s sheer common sense and self-preservation. If you offer kid-friendly foods (ie, PBJ sandwiches, dried bread crusts, dehydrated water, etc.), you won’t have to deal with whining children and their even more annoying whining parents. Grit your teeth and tell yourself, they’re not worthy of what I make anyway, the Greater Good is what matters now.
3.) Don’t sweat the small stuff.
And believe you me, all petty arguments/angsts/what have you relatives are ALL small stuff (if you only see them at the holidays, after all). Pity them for their lack of social graces and sad personal opinions and LET THEM GO. Far far away. Preferably off a short pier.
Keep in mind, no matter how agonizing your get-togethers might be, there’s always something even more alien in the world. Consider:
- Holiday Horror Stories
- Thanksgiving Holiday Stories
- Holiday In-law Horror Stories
- Holiday Houseguest Horror Stories
- Holiday Dishes - Hits and Misses
I’m not the only person writing about this of course - also enjoy:
- 12 tips for coping with holiday stress and depression
- Holiday Stress Busters
- 7 tips for defusing Holiday stress
- Beat holiday stress whimpering into the ground
- NPR - Dealing with holiday family stress
- Holiday Stress Brings Anxiety and Abuse
Remember! In all seriousness, generally nobody ever woke up and decreed to their ceiling,
"Golly gosh gee whiz, I think I’ll do my darnedest to make the next family gathering a living hell worthy of the Jerry Springer show!"
This too, shall come to an end. To all who are reading, I wish you the best of joy and happiness during your family gathering. After all, when you’re on your deathbed, I highly doubt you’ll be whispering to the angels, oh, if only I had spent more time with inanimate electronic devices!
Family can truly be a blessing in your life. Make it one in yours.
ThankYouVeryMuch!
Owlbert
#BEGIN highlights of this blog writing post:
Beginners blogging tips: It takes two to fight. Remove your participation and see the fight dissolve.
Intermediate and/or Advanced blogging tips: Chant to yourself, it’s only this day…and see past the emotional digs people might throw at you. In other words, always take the high road and let things go.
#END highlights of this blog writing post
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ps - want to beat your stress on a mobile game? Check it out below:
You can download that from Mobile Toones.
pps - and speaking about holidays:
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