I have always heard pay close attention to the people who don’t clap for you when you win. It’s a harsh reality that sucks to realize who’s not clapping. It’s an even worse realization when it’s the people who you want more than anything to clap for you.

As an adult, anxiety is a real life thing. Like who the hell does not have functional anxiety?!! Life pressures, responsibilities, children, work, trying to balance it all….IS HARD! Here comes the holidays and BOOM!!! HELLO FANCY ANXIETY! Dressed up so beautifully and presentable to help you get through the holidays. Let’s face it….Some families are (picture) perfect! Beautifully pictured, put together so nicely, and should be sitting with Joanna Gaines. Some families relate more with The Addams Family! Other families dread this time of the year because it’s like a full moon+mental institution released all the crazies into the night=A COMPLETE SHIT SHOW!

I’ve had the recent experience of learning why it is OKAY to say NO, after many years of experiencing complete exhaustion after the holidays. Family has the ability to drain you, unrealistic expectations arise, and if there was any problems throughout the year with each other…NOW IS THE TIME THEY ARE GOING TO COME UP!

I realized a few years ago after Holidays, I was utterly drained leaving events. I enjoyed spending time with family but like any other family, I DO NOT care to be disccected and explain who I am to one soul. I mention many times how 30 was a pivotal moment in my life for many reasons. What I have failed to mention is exactly why this age was such a huge moment in life for me. I lost my oldest, kindest sister at 30. She was just 10-years older than I and was MY SWEETHEART! With the great loss, came greater feelings. Feelings that I was no longer the “little” girl to my living siblings, feelings that I would no longer allow anyone to push me around, no longer allow people to tell me what I should or should not feel. No longer allow people to make me feel any less of a person because of my personal preferences and choices in life. The loss of my sister allowed me to gain confidence to say NO!

Fast-forward to present day. Okay, we’ve made it to the end of November. No major altercations with family all year, small chit-chat here and there, and I’m ready to host Thanksgiving for my small tribe at home. Sounds simple, right? It should have been. After many days of a family member asking me to cancel my plans for their personal preference, I said “No, that isn’t what I want to do.” Here comes the question no one really wants to hear the answer to…”Why don’t you want to come?” HELLO HONESTY! I do not choose to sit at a table where I have felt judgment for so many years.

As adults, if you ask questions you may or may not want to know the answer to….You have the choice to agree to disagree and move on. You have the right to not focus your time or energy in places that make you feel uneasy inside. That Fancy Anxiety! Sometimes, for some or most people, holidays are hard. They are days you wish you could sleep through, fast-forward, put on a “fake it until you make it” smile, and just get it over with already days. If someone does not want to sit at your table…RESPECT THEIR WISHES! After this conversation I had with this particular family member, I reflected on it and thought of the multitude of things that went wrong or should have been avoided. Things were said that were said in judgement of who I was over 8 years ago! EEEKKKK!!! Seriously, that was like 5 versions of me ago! So not only does this person not recognize who I am as a person today, this person sees me for past failures instead of what it took to rise above that situation. JUDGEMENT! You see, you have to be careful what you say when your heart is hard, because your tongue will lead with haste. You can’t recover a stone once it has been thrown. You will regret saying nasty words to someone a lot longer than you will remember that empty chair at your dinner table.

AS ADULTS YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO FEEL EVERY. SINGLE. FN. EMOTION YOU FEEL. YOU ARE ENTITLED TO YOUR FEELINGS. YOU ARE ENTITLED TO PROTECT YOUR ENERGY AND PRESERVE YOUR INNER PEACE. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO SAY NO! YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE AROUND PEOPLE WHO PASS JUDGEMENT JUST BECAUSE YOU SHARE COMMON DNA! YOU ARE ENTITLED TO BE PROUD OF WHO YOU ARE AS AN ADULT AND WHO YOU HAVE OUTGROWN. NOT EVERYONE DESERVES THE NEW VERSION OF YOU.

Before a butterfly becomes, it is a caterpillar. Slow, not the prettiest, prickly, rough around the edges. It goes into its cocoon and emerges with beauty, with grace, limitless, ready to take flight. The branch that allowed this butterfly to cocoon isn’t the enemy, rather a staple to the growth of the beauty emerged. Growth and family are the same. Just because a family member needed you more when they were vulnerable, does not mean you can treat them the same way when they have grown their wings. It’s a new version of them. Shift your perspective to embrace the new. For each of you. If you continually remind a person who they were years before, you are hindering relationships. RESPECT OTHER PEOPLE TO AGREE TO DISAGREE!

Who are we to judge people for who they were? Who are we to judge people for who they are not? Life is simple. BE KIND! If you don’t agree with someone, AGREE TO DISAGREE. If someone tells you they want to stay home for the holidays, RESPECT THEIR WISHES! If you do not care for how someone is raising their child, WORRY ABOUT RAISING YOUR OWN! If you are worried about how the “Jones” are financing anything, WORRY ABOUT YO’SELF! Moral of this post. No one lives in a glass house, and if you do a bird could shit and burst your windows!

DO NOT GO AROUND TRYING TO STEAL PEOPLE’S JOY! If you do, there are probably many ugly elements within yourself that are stealing your own joy.

Feel the pain, embrace the pain, release the pain. Stop being an ugly bitch! No one likes ugly bitches!

Sincerely,

Someone who loves you, but loves and respects me more.