Apr

6

Happy Easter

Filed Under Combat PTSD, Easter, Family, PTSD, Tears of a Warrior 

          holy-cross21 

In our family, Easter is a time to gather and celebrate the Good News. Our last blog focused on the challenges often associated with holidays along with some suggestions for making the day less stressful.

We are happy to report that our Easter celebration was wonderful.  We had our sons, several of their friends, Jan’s sister, and two extra dogs for the afternoon.  At times it could have been a bit hectic, however by following some of our own suggestions the day went quite well.

            As the day went on, Tony made his choices based on how he was feeling and what he wanted to do at the time.  Since there were a few basketball games on TV as well as a good movie, he had some quiet time in our lower family room. Most of the guests remained upstairs where goodies were arranged for munching and chatting.

            Since the weather was warm with plenty of sunshine, after dinner everyone took a long walk, working off some calories and getting the four-legged visitors out for some exercise.  Just being outside in the open air was very therapeutic.  It is amazing how calming nature can be in normalizing an otherwise busy gathering.

            The evening ended with playing our traditional family games which can be quite loud and annoying for some. So Tony once again spent some quiet time reading and watching March Madness.

            What is important is that everyone had a good time, had plentiful opportunities to engage in a variety of activities, and made choices that were appropriate for each person.  Long ago we stopped apologizing for any person who decides to make an alternative choice for the day.  Each person is responsible for him/herself and each person has permission to do what is best for him/her anytime during the celebrations.  By reducing unnecessary expectations, the large gatherings go much smoother. 

           We are so blessed to be able to spend quality time with family and friends.  It is important, therefore, that these special occasions turn out to be special because of the good things that occur, instead of some outburst that will be remembered miserably. 

Congratulations family!     We made it perfectly through another holiday.

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