While I’m away, readers give the advice.
On gratitude:
The holidays are upon us. Yes, having so many places to go and so many people to see can cause stress. What I wouldn’t give for a little of that stress. For someone to grumble to about it. To have the worry of it, and all that goes with it. I would love to feel that warm hug on a chilly evening. The warm smile of someone who was glad to see you. To me, that would be the greatest gift, something I would be eternally grateful for. Instead, I will settle for a warm cup of tea as my little slice of heaven.
Love can be so fleeting, and for some of us, so rare. Please remember all the good in life. Hold on to all that is joy and peace, no matter how small. Be humorous. Laugh often, instead of complaining about the little things that don’t really matter. Most of all, gratitude. Be grateful. It can all disappear in a second.
To you and yours, warmth, joy, peace, hope and laughter.
— N.A.S.
On caring for out-of-town guests without getting overwhelmed:
For our kids’ Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, we did not want expensive dinners added to the weekend beyond the event itself. I got together with two good friends who had kids around our kids’ ages. We took turns hosting Friday night dinner for the others’ out-of-town immediate family at someone else’s house. That meant that for my Friday night dinner, I paid for the food, but my two friends cooked, hosted and cleaned up at one of their homes. We rotated so that each of us hosted for one of the other families. This was not only much less costly, but lovely and intimate and special.
— P.
On fitting in friends when returning “home” to see family:
When our out-of-town friends visit, they set aside one evening for friends at a pre-arranged happy-hour type of venue and visit collectively. The rest of the time is spent with their kids at various family functions. It saves them a lot of the “I can’t see everyone” anguish and anxiety, and they are able to relax.
— C.
When it was our turn to have our daughter and son-in-law stay with us, we allowed them to invite their friends to our house one evening and we watched their children. The friends brought snacks, and our daughter and son-in-law didn’t have to run anywhere. They could stay up as late as they wanted because we put the children to bed. We knew their friends, so this also allowed us to greet them, and we had time alone with our grandchildren. Everyone loved it.
— J. & J.
And a friendly reminder to judge judiciously:
We really only see little snippets of most peoples’ lives, and it ought to make us careful about extrapolating larger lessons or judgments from those little glimpses of a life.
— Careful
— Washington Post Writers Group
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