Friday; December 22
When I look back on the Christmases of my youth I have some very fond memories. We always had presents under a tree and we were often able to spend the holidays with family. We had a few White Christmases, but more often than not the “white” was beach sand rather than snow. As I look back I do recall a few disappointments – such as waking upon on Christmas morning and NOT finding a 1978 Trans Am parked in the driveway. (One time I was given a new car for Christmas … it was a plastic car wrapped up and placed under the tree – I was not amused.) In retrospect, when I was disappointed during the holiday season it was because I wished for something that I should not have expected. The thing that set me up for disappointment was me, not the circumstances that presented themselves. I believe that when we, as adults, feel the stress and disappointment this time of year it is often because we “over-expect”. After years of family conflict at the Christmas meal, we hope (or a better wo