Family gatherings are fun. However, they can also be stressful. It can be fun to see how loved ones have grown and matured. It can also be a time where people expect you to be the person that they once knew you to be. This is especially true with family members you don’t see very often.
Hopefully, you continue to grow as a person. Moreover you likely aren’t the same person that you were as a teenager or a young adult. Therefore it is important that you don’t allow yourself to be cast into a mold that you know longer fit into.
Likewise, we need to allow our family members to grow into the people that they have become. Get to know your family members again at these functions. Try not to cast them as the people that you once knew them to be. Instead, try to discover the new people that they have becomes.
Old Stories and Loved Ones
If you are attending an event with the family of your significant other, this is an opportunity to learn about who they once were. However, they need you to also be an anchor for the person that they now are. Don’t allow the old stories of family members to change your view of your spouse or significant other. Rather, be a reminder of the wonderful person that they have become.
You can do this by injecting new stories that relate to the old. In so doing, you can help their family members see how that person has grown. Moreover, you get the opportunity to introduce them to the person that their loved one has become.
Enjoy the old stories. Learn about the person that you are with. Understand how they have grown and adapted. Relate to how their experiences have shaped them. But always be the anchor for who they are now. They will love and appreciate you more for it.
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