Q: I love Thanksgiving and Christmas possibly more than the average person. But my parents hate everything to do with the holidays, and hate to say it but they really ruin it for by always bringin me down. How can i make them excited about the holidays as much as i am?
A: I can identify with what you are saying. When I was living at home, (much younger than today), I wanted to celebrate the holdidays with love and decorations, music and all of that so much. But, my parents always seemed to fight more during the holidays than any other time. It was as though they just couldn't stand the holdiays at all. In fact, my memories of holidays at home were so horrid that I asked my older brother if he remembered it the way I did.........thinking I must have over done it on the horror scoring. He remembered it the same way. He said, "The time to fight was always the holiday we wanted so badly to celebrate.". SO, now that I have my own home, my own rules, and my own imagination, I celebrate every holiday with such cheer, music, decorations, gifts, picked flowers, and candles with wonderful scents. Then, I became a grandmother, and REALLY took out any stops I may have had before he was old enough to love the seasons changing. WE spend so much time at the dollar store, so that my grandson can pick things HE wants to use for decorating, etc.. in my home, that it makes all those bad memories just vanish. I don't live in that atmosphere, anymore, and my husband loves the holdays as much as I do! We decorate our home, help our sons to pay for theirs, as well, in their homes. Every year has a different magic about it, and no one can take it from you.............they can really make it HARD to keep your spirits up, but, honey, please, try. Trust me, some day, you will have YOUR own place, your own ability to make the holidays the way you want them to be! When you are really down, because your parents just do that for you.........take a piece of paper, or a journal, and write down all that you would do, if you owned the place where you live now, and had the money to do whatever you wanted to do for each holiday. Imagination is a glorious thing, and you can use yours to keep your spirits soaring. Happy Holidays, Honey.............and may you never forget that your day for being in charge is near. It will happen. It did for me.