Family

Is dispensing with mass family gatherings a bad thing?

So much about family relationships is polarizing. It begins when we’re kids and we’re told not to talk about religion or politics or really anything that could cause trouble during holidays and birthdays. Because everyone wants a fun, stress-free gathering.

But it rarely works out well. Everyone is tippytoeing on the thin line of small talk until someone falls off. Then it all breaks loose. What was supposed to be, demanded to be, a low-stress gathering becomes what we all knew it was going to be.

Instead, what if we just met with one or two people at a time? No mass family gatherings. More of a quiet hour or two spent together listening and talking about whatever we want to. No rules.