Tomorrow many will celebrate Thanksgiving with family. Some of these celebrations will be filled with joy and laughter and others tolerance and superficiality. Truth be told. Many of our family members we would never choose as friends.
Relationships are challenging. Past hurts, misconceptions, jealousies have poisoned many relationships. But within families, multiply the damage exponentially.
So what’s a person to do when family gatherings are only second to surgery without anesthesia on the pain scale? Accept that members of your family may never change. Then decide whether to remain in the relationship or not. It’s that simple.
By making this single decision you have in effect determine the perimeters for the relationship. Anger, disappointment, rejection are no longer optional. Attempting to mold them into your ideal of who they should be is useless. No longer influenced by their behavior. Authenticity and transparency permeates your interactions.
Since adopting this paradigm I no longer dread family gatherings. Has everyone changed? Some have and some haven’t. But that no longer matters because I have changed. By no longer concentrating on the negative, I discovered that everyone has positive, admirable traits. Which makes it so much easier to love them.
May each of you have a blessed Thanksgiving. One filled with LOVE!
As Wayne Dyer said, “Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change.”
Since adopting this advice, I’ve seen so many positive changes in my life. And, of course, in those things (and people) I see. Very powerful.
Enjoy your TG Rita!
I will have a wonderful Thanksgiving! I only have to cook the dressing and an apple-carrot cake. Dinner is at my daughter’s house. Which means I also don’t have to get up early. YES! Don’t eat too much and try to stay warm.