Taking control of your Holiday experience

Hello community. We are in our holiday season here in the US and this time brings upon a range of emotions. Grief, anger, overwhelm, debt, and loneliness can be especially hard to face around this time.

It really had me thinking about ways I can take control of the holidays for myself and my family that make this time more positive despite bleak circumstances we are in.

Just like with anything in life, at times we feel the need to compromise. We have children, spouses, extended family, societal pressures, etc. that are pulling on us to do more...be more...buy more and when we can't meet these needs we feel depleted. 

Aren't the holidays supposed to be a time of joy? A time of gratefulness and celebration? And what if they just are not? We lost someone and they are not here. We are broke and can't buy the big meal or gifts. We are estranged from family and/or friends or we are ill and we flat out don't want to celebrate.

This post is not meant to gaslight the very real pain some of us feel right now. Things very well might flat out suck for lack of a better word. How can we "re-define" or "re-write" how our holidays will look going forward? How can we do this if we cannot change some unchangeable circumstances? I do not have an answer for any of this as I am currently trying to create new traditions for my family that will ease the stress and make it enjoyable.

Please comment with ways/ideas that you are changing your perspective, or, changing the way you celebrate to carve out a little enjoyment during this holiday season? Maybe you haven't figured it out yet either and just need some encouragement. 

Peace and love to all of you this holiday season,

-Violette.