2. Give your spouse grace as they spend time with their respective families.
Both Trish and I had such high expectations of one another as we’d visit family. We expected each other to react perfectly; to parent perfectly; to always say the right thing; to have it all together all the time. The reality is that the family we both go home to now is different than the family we grew up with. So giving each other grace to navigate some of those differences communicates that we are a team and not enemies. Your holiday gatherings will be so much better laced with grace.
3. Cherish the time you get to spend with family.
We have two Thanksgivings and Christmases together before our oldest son graduates high school. That sucks. I allowed too many holidays to go by without savoring the time. I want to take in every moment.
We aren’t guaranteed time; it is on loan to us. I want to cherish the time I spend with family. When we treat the time we spend with our spouse’s family as valuable, it shows that them we value them.
These are 3 things that won’t give you a perfect Thanksgiving or Christmas visit. But I’m pretty sure they will save your sanity as you spend extended time with people you love.
