Brenda Miller

A Tale of Two Families

Family Joy

On Christmas Eve I stopped into two family open houses. My son and DIL were celebrating at her parents, a tradition locked in stone that never includes us.

The first party was at a neighbors house and was similar to the ones I hosted for most of my life. It was small and only included their family, except for me dropping off a gift. Soup was bubbling in crockpots, yummy little sandwiches were stacked high, and trays of Christmas cookies were drenched in red & green sprinkles.

The second party was less than a mile away and was at a sprawling house filled with a huge family. They were warm and had invited everyone in sight. I only knew two people, but they all made me feel like family. This house was filled with smells of enchiladas, burritos, Spanish rice and pinto beans. The counters were filled with homemade deserts and everyone was eager to dive in, once their mother gave a heartfelt prayer, giving thanks for the families blessings during the past year.

These experiences were such an example that Christmas is all about family, whether small or big. I felt lost at both of them, since I have neither….just my new sweet husband of less than 9 months.

I returned home very quickly and prepared a small dinner for the two of us. The next day it was once again a very lonely day, but I stayed busy with cooking, going for a long walk, making a ham dinner, and preparing for our family brunch the next day.

The brunch was very abbreviated with the DIL refusing to attend, even though I made everything dairy free, gluten free and totally disgusting!

My family growing up was warm and loving and every holiday was filled with yummy food, music and laughter. Now our holidays are quiet and lonely, so we adopt friends that we love and take care of everywhere we go.

Stop blaming yourself for your family dysfunction and move on with your life. Embrace and enjoy the people you meet along the way. Blood does not define your family. Love, compassion and empathy are far more important.

I hope that you will join me on this journey of inspiration and motivation. Please subscribe to:

ThePowerofChanges.com

Unknown's avatar

Published by Brenda Miller

I grew up in the volatile times of the 60’s and 70’s. Experiencing the assassination of our great leaders of reform, witnessing the craziness of Woodstock and burning bras, proud of the Supreme Courts decision on Roe versus Wade, and watching the horrors of the Vietnam War formed my views at an early age and have not wavered over the years. I have faced insurmountable challenges along the way. But life taught me to be brave and face my fears, moving forward no matter what. There was no challenge left undone, no heartbreak left unfelt, no chance I didn’t take. I refused to be defined by what others thought I should do or what other people were doing. I learned that you can either sit back and let life go screaming by, or jump in and make a change….left, right or barreling straight ahead. It’s your choice.

Leave a comment