JOY and Family Reunions
Episode description
It's fun getting together with family you haven't seen for a while. But how do you keep the JOY flowing instead of the arguments and negative situations? You create boundaries and expectations ahead of time.
We just returned from a family trip with my brothers' families and mine celebrating our Mom's 80th birthday. We spent a week together at Folly Beach in South Carolina, all in the same rented VRBO.
How do you set expectations:
1. Don't expect everyone to do the same thing at the same time.
2. Unplug
3. Don't bring up topics that create tension.
I knew from 5 years ago what topic could not be discussed when we were all together. It was politics. My family is divided in their beliefs around politics and the state of our country, so I had to do something ahead of time.
I sent out a message before we left to everyone setting some expectations. Basically, it was to respect everyone's beliefs and not to bring up the subject of politics as well as not watching news in front of each other. I continue to say that we all want this trip to be a joyful trip we all remember.
I also challenged my own family to keep the JOY flowing with everyone.
What was the outcome?
A nice, JOYFUL trip with lots of happy memories that we can keep playing in our heads and NO talk about politics.
It was AMAZING!!!
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Lauren's Book, My Dad Died From ALS and How I Found Joy 30 Years Later
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B2J15M3Z
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