Try to Have a Positive but Realistic Holiday Experience

There's an image of holiday perfection that our culture encourages. Starting with Thanksgiving, we are inundated with fantasy images of perfect families happily enjoying each other's company during a holiday meal. Most of us have memories from our childhood that feed this drive toward the Norman Rockwell nostalgia of holidays past. If we lived it, we want to duplicate it. If we didn't, we want to create it.  Few of us can measure up to the fantasy—caregivers least of all. There's so much denial of today's reality in these images resurrected each holiday and thrown at us by every means, from advertisements to blockbuster movies. These images feed expectations that are impossible to meet. Read the complete article on Agingcare about how to go about making the holidays positive by being realistic:  Support a caregiver or jump-start discussion in support groups with real stories - for bulk orders of Minding Our Elders e-mail Carol   *Terrific Christmas gift! Related articles Touchy Sibling Communication About Alzheimer's May Benefit from Professional Input (Minding Our Elders®) Where Is the Line Between Caregiver Stress and Burnout? (Minding Our Elders®)                Related StoriesAmerican Advisors Group $1500 Do Something Good GrantAdult Child Shouldn't Try to Replace Parent's Deceased SpouseProtection for Nursing Home Residents: Will New Rules Remain? 
Source: Minding Our Elders - Category: Geriatrics Authors: Source Type: blogs