Around this time of year, many holidays are in full effect. Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa, New Year’s, seemingly every single one under the sun. It’s an exciting time.

But in this exciting time, very similar to something like Thanksgiving, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the vast amount of family, friends, and loved ones in the mix.

I wish I knew why, but it seems like always during the wintertime, my personal life always gets incredibly dramatic and overwhelming. 

Why is this?

Well, I find many people, both online, and people I know, relate to that. There’s something in the air when it gets cold.

And it’s not just the wintery weather. I believe it comes down to how connected we all get during the holidays.

For example, my extended family comes home from California during the holidays, and we all spend a ton of time together and it’s great.

Many people are in a similar spot, but how do you navigate this challenging time of family drama and BS?

Well, the best way is honestly to take it in stride.

I’m lucky because I get along well with all my extended family members. But if I didn’t, I would be respectful and polite to the ones I didn’t like, and just spend as much time as possible with the ones I do like.

Also, if you have something like a boyfriend or girlfriend, introducing them to your family can be even more tricky.

I’ve done this before, and it’s fun, but it can also be challenging as hell. 

If the relationship doesn’t work out, it sucks, but hey, that’s the name of the game.

It is what it is.

But a good way to enjoy this holiday time and not get in your head about all the drama is just to stick to the family members you vibe with.

If not, then hey, there’s nothing wrong with a little holiday friend get-together.

That’s fun too.

I wish my friends were easier to make plans with because we would do that, believe me.

Enjoy this festive season, it’s meant to be a good one, not a stressful one. Don’t forget that. 

*Written by Nicolas Scagnelli

Nick is a student and a writer at Binghamton University ’24.

He has supported the military spouse community through his position with various non profits to include Defenders of Resilience. 

He can be reached at nicolasscagnelli@gmail.com or can be accessed through his Personal Blog or his Professional Blog