Nobody asked me how I felt about family holidays, but I’m in the holiday spirit, so why not?
As we come back from celebrating Thanksgiving and begin to prepare for Christmas break, we start feeling a wide array of emotions. If you’re a student, you’re probably feeling excitement for the long break away from school and responsibilities. However, some of you might be feeling fear, anxiety and even sadness. Why is this, you might ask? Two words: family’s coming.
Let me preface this with a disclaimer: I love my family more than anyone else in the world. I’ve grown up with them for the past 17 years, and in those years, they have shaped me into the person I am today and given me unconditional love. Individually they are the most inspiring, intelligent and caring people I know. Together they’re a freaking nightmare.
For some reason, during family holidays, my family brings the worst out in each other. It’s nice to be surrounded by all your close and distant family, it can be quite overwhelming when they come all at once, especially when you have to spend very long, extended periods of time with them. I don’t even like spending a week with some of my friends and I chose to be with them, so you can only imagine what it’s like to be forced to spend quality time with people that sometimes make it less than desirable. Personally, my family is extremely similar to each other. We are all extremely open with each other, but at the same time, incredibly stubborn and passive aggressive, which is where many of the fights and headaches begin.
It’s not all bad; in fact, some of my favorite memories come from the holidays. Every year I look forward to playing board games with my sisters in our Christmas pajamas and telling old stories over Thanksgiving dinner. It’s all the little things in between that make it such a nightmare.
I know for a fact that I am not the only one that wants to run and hide during family gatherings. Senior Kaylynne Nowak states that she has similar problems: “Spending time with the family can be fun, but can also be very tiring, especially when you have to spend the whole week with them.” Just like many others, she loves her family unconditionally, however it’s certain instances that make family time unpleasant. “For some reason, after we spend a lot of time with each other, we just start getting short with each other and by the end of the week, we’re happy for it to be over.”
I will always love my family, but I don’t always have to like them. So the next time the holiday comes around, send your thoughts and prayers to those experiencing these same issues. To those who do experience these problems, know that you are not alone.
