What’s in your “Family” Toolkit?

It is the holiday season and what better time to celebrate family especially in a year where many people have lost family members, can’t touch their family members and have no idea when next they’d see each other.

Family, the one we are born into or choose, is important.

So for this month’s theme, we are celebrating family for all its good, bad, quirkiness, and disfunction.

Abimbola Okupe

Tool: Allowing differences to complement rather than combat

I should probably preface that “tool” with a caveat. I’m absolutely NOT recommending that you accept things that are destructive, toxic, manipulative, harmful, or detrimental. In those cases, you should not simply accept the qualities or ideas a family member exhibits that require attention (via conversation, discernment, therapy, or distance) or boundaries.

Back on topic — What I AM referring to are differences that are just that — different! We all have variations in the ways we view and approach life. Our differences may stem from varying experiences: exposure, age, culture, gender, race, personality, worldview, etc. Within any family or group…