La la la la la la la la la

Ah, the holidays...so easy to blow off w/ a big red stamp of "HELL ON EARTH". Unless you are one of those who truly enjoys this time of year, in which case you visit an entirely different scrap-booking store, for your stamp and ink pad color of choice. I personally find it amusing to play the Grinch while desparately poking about the house and liquor cabinet for the quickest way to make myself laugh.

I don't actually hate the holidays. What I hate, are the overwhelming levels of pure, exhausting emotion that accompany the season and in truth, every family gathering in this here little orchard. I attribute this multifaceted gem adornment, to two things. One: My family alone, maybe responsible for the very existence and financial fueling of psychotherapy as a practice. Two: In large part due to this close knit relationship with shrinkage, my family firmly believes that e-v-e-r-y single confrontation in life--be that with a door knob, your next door neighbor or your next of kin--deserves your undivided emotional and spiritual attention, to seek out the lesson awaiting to enlighten your soul.

Example: My niece has been on a roll lately, exercising her 4yr old right to Sass. She was mid-exertion of some offensive act, when my mother turns to her and asks "Now, how does that make you feel inside?"

Don't get me wrong, as a member of this family if nothing else, I am a huge advocate of self awareness and self betterment...WHEN YOU ARE OLD ENOUGH TO SEE YOURSELF. As a 4yr old at heart however, I am an even bigger advocate of exercising ones right to Sass, and furthermore, spreading that love whenever and where ever possible. Word to my neicie...and I'm pretty sure I've secured my place in parenting HELL, should I ever make the mistake of going down that road.

Oh and Three: (This one sneaks up on you. It even snuck past being made reference to before hand.) MICRO MANAGING.

Basically, what I'm saying, is that holidays are awesome and I am surrounded by therapists who all know how to process each others shit better than the person it belongs to, and don't drink enough. And the best part is my own attempts to pretend I'm not part of it! Yippeeeee!