Do You Dread Holiday Celebrations And Family Gatherings?
It’s a time of year with many holiday celebrations and gatherings. These are joyous experiences for many, but a difficult time for others. Our lives are not like a Hallmark Channel story with freshly baked cookies, fake snow, and conflicts that always have happy endings.
We know that our happiness comes more from the people whom we love rather than the gifts that we get.
However, past hurts (whether real or imagined) may feel particularly intense right now, in marked contrast to the apparent happiness around us.
Here are some particularly challenging situations.
- Divorce. Some kids tell me that they like the fact that their parents are divorced because they get twice as many gifts. Humor hides their pain. Most of them want what they will never get – their mom and dad back together again.
The best gift you can give your children is to develop a business-like relationship with your ex-spouse. You need not forget yesterday’s betrayal and pain. You just need to love your kids more than you dislike your ex-spouse, and put their needs above your anger and anguish.
Call your ex-spouse to work out the holiday visits,