Family time can also give us insight into who we are, and an increased self-awareness can help us to have healthier relationships outside of our family. As we watch unhealthy behavior occur in our family, it can better equip us to work on those same patterns that we see in our relationships with others. If we give ourselves the opportunity to reflect on family patterns and dynamics, we will be more self-aware about our own weaknesses. If we’re willing, we can use this insight for our own personal growth.
This year I encourage you to face the challenge. Don’t just run from the difficult relationships and spend the entire family gathering in front of the television or busying yourself in the kitchen to avoid a real conversation with anyone. Look for good qualities in family members that you would like to emulate and also look for unhealthy family patterns that you would like to work on overcoming during the next year. Reflecting on this ritual of family gathering and exploring how it can be a positive experience will help us all feel like we have made the most of all that the holiday season has to offer this year. We will start the New Year feeling spiritually refreshed and encouraged as we draw closer to God through the challenges that family relationships bring.
