“Pretty much every holiday that I’ve had to host the family dinner, I end up thinking it is just not worth the effort. And even those holidays that I just have to bring a side dish, I feel pretty much the same. If it’s not the stress of traffic or weather that adds to the irritation and puts a damper on my mood, it’s feeling like I walk on eggshells so as not to upset someone, wanting to avoid awkward conversations.

“How do you manage your family gatherings, or do you feel like this too?”

G: You are certainly not alone in how you tend to respond to the stress or pressures that can come with these events. So often bad outcomes are created because there is a heightened expectation, of wanting everything to be just so, to create extra special memories.

Throw in the heated spices of politic

See Full Page