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The holidays mean many things to people, and to many people, the holidays mean travelling. Visiting family is simply part of the festivities. Deciding who to visit can sometimes become part of the stress. In-laws and extended families are often spread apart, living, sometimes many hundreds of miles away from each other. This can make the prospect of visiting a daunting one.
It might not matter though, if you are right across town from your family, or half way across the world. The question of who to visit during the holidays will always come up. Do you stop by various houses, eating dinner after dinner or cookie after cookie? Do you neglect one family member to visit another? It is a difficult thing to take care of, I know.
If you are quite a distance from those whom you would like to visit, the decision must be somewhat concrete. You cannot be expected to drive 400 miles one day and 500 the next. It may seem that you are expected to do this, but in reality, you simply cannot. What it comes down to is, what makes the holidays special for you?
Are the winter holidays more meaningful to you when shared with a certain member of your family? Can you make arrangements that make this visit a priority? Is it possible for you to host a gathering, where you would be able to invite various parts of your family, such as your in-laws, and your own parents?
When children are involved the holiday visiting can become more complicated. The grandparents want to be included and you may not want to travel great distances with the little ones in tow. This could be a pivotal period in the family's traditional gatherings. Perhaps Grandma could come to your house for the holidays now. It is possible to celebrate on the weekends before and after the actual holiday, to accommodate the children. This way they could be at home for the big day, with no worries about missing the magic of the event.
Some families choose to alternate years and visits to parts of their extended family. This can be a bit confusing unless the plans are all made quite clear to everyone involved. Some might divide up the various holidays, celebrating the winter occasions with one parent and the spring holidays with another. You might invent a holiday, such as Christmas in July, to be able to include everyone, yet not have so many different visits occurring around the actual holiday.
I count myself lucky to have the abundant visits to make and receive each year. Truly, holidays are what you make of them. If you are feeling blessed by a long list of visits, then that will make you happy. If you are feeling overwhelmed and stressed, perhaps it is time to talk to your loved ones and find a solution that will make the celebrations more joyful for you. Deciding who to visit is truly a blessing of a dilemma to have.
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