This holiday season turned out to be a lot more stressful than I remember other years having been. This year involved a lot of discussion. And such discussions led to disagreements. Getting together during the rise of omicron led those in our family to ask a lot of questions:
- What’s safe?
- What isn’t safe?
- Should we still be worrying about all this?
- Should we test people before gathering?
- When should we test?
- Whom should we test?
- Where can we get tests?
- Are rapid tests reliable for the omicron variant?
- Has anyone been exposed?
- What day did you get exposed?
- Who’s vaccinated?
- Who’s been boosted?
- What is the best venue for our gathering?
- What are we serving, from a food perspective? (just kidding…..I didn’t ask that, but I was certainly wondering!)
Here’s the thing: questions are great. Questions can lead to answers. Answers can bring knowledge. Sometimes answers bring comfort. But when family is involved, things can get dicey. Because we love our family members. And while we want what’s best for everyone, we can disagree about what’s best.
Because we’re different. We have different opinions. We have different beliefs. And some of us, like, ahem, little old me, don’t always have an answer.
I’m not a scientist, a medical professional, an epidemiologist, a politician, a religious leader, or much of an authority on anything except soup (Truly, people, I make a mean soup. Come over any time!)
To say I cried a little this Christmas season would be an understatement. I cried, I yelled, I lost sleep. I let my confusion, fear, and disappointment in disappointing others RULE. I don’t like when people disagree. Former ultimate people-pleaser speak: I just want us all to get along!!!
Finding peace in this headspace was a challenge.
So, what did I do?
I let it go.
I said, ok, we disagree, and that’s ok. It has to be ok. This is what we need right now. The path is disagreement. If God wanted us to agree all the time, we would have been all the same. Which, if I were choosing, I would have made all of us Oprah. (I know, I know: agree to disagree….but I love Oprah. I also love Sonia Sotomayor. I could have gone with that choice, too, since she has the work ethic of a god.)
I breathed. I baked. I cooked. I tried to do the things I love to do and kept going.
And you know what? I found my way back to peace. I always find my way after a little time and effort.
What brought you peace this week? Share the peace?
4 the Love of Peace 