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The Gift of Presence vs. Presents
While most of us have gotten better about breaking annoying cell phone habits, like turning off the camera flash and notifications, there are still areas we need to collectively improve if we ever want to be present during the holiday season.
The holidays can be the most wonderful time of the year where families reunite and everything is supposed to be full of good cheer — but for some, it is a time of toxic family, anxiety, and awkward conversations over holiday cocktails. However, multiple generations with different personality types all together can still be a joyful occasion.
During the holiday season, our thoughts often turn to two things: family and gratitude. Deep down what we want is to spend more time making memories with our families. Often times we’re looking for ways to show our gratitude by giving our time, and attention, and thoughts to things of greater importance.
As wonderful as the holidays are, a lot of us struggle with this time of year for many reasons and it’s hard to remain “in the moment”. Don’t worry about who your “family” consists of. Your family does not have to look traditional (mine certainly isn’t). I consider family members those who truly love and care for us without judgement and criticism, regardless if we happen to share DNA or not. Families come in all different types and sizes. It is not a one size…
