Family Reunion Survival Guide

No matter how much you love your relatives, it's still totally awkward and uncomfortable at family reunions. Especially so for me because I have quite an interesting family who are a lot different from me and my mom, dad, and siblings. 

Recently I read an article in health class that actually helped me. It talked about why you should try not to shy away from your creepy Aunt Martha when she comes in for a hug, and instead be open about greeting everyone and just being nice. No one can fault you for not wanting to have an hour long conversation with her, just try to be approachable. If you're chatting a little bit with everyone, (nothing much, just a "hi" there and a "I like your sweater" there) it'll give your obnoxious uncle less of a reason to try and have a long conversation with you one-on-one. Another good tip I learned was to try and find common ground. If you do happen to find yourself deep in conversation with your 95-year-old great grandfather, ask him about his childhood, or about a good card trick he knows. It'll keep the conversation out of awkward territory and keep things interesting. You may learn something! Lastly, if you need a break, try to find a quiet spot away from others to read or just breathe (If this place must be the bathroom... so be it!) 

10 Days till Christmas,

Abigail