Holidays are hard – Be Kind

The holidays are hard for many people. It is inescapable, all of the focus on family at this time of year.

It’s in commercials, TV shows, movies, social media, at the grocery store, on the radio, on billboards, in store windows, at the coffee shop, and on and on and on. It’s everywhere.

But what if your family is the source of your trauma, suffering or heartache? What if family is toxic, neglectful, abusive? What if your family has rejected you? How might this time of year feel?

Don’t give people a hard time if they won’t be spending the holidays with family or if they don’t love this time of year.

There are a lot of platitudes offered about forgiveness and reconciliation at this time of year. And if you want to make those choices for yourself, well and good, but please resist this urge to moralize, judge, or offer your unsolicited opinion on other people’s choices.