So we were planning a nice, quiet Christmas here at home. Yeah, it's not going to happen. My mother-in-law's health isn't so great these days, she doesn't have a diagnosis yet, but it is suspected to be some early form of dementia. So we got our tickets and are heading out west to visit my husband's family for the holidays.
We won't be staying with my husband's parents, we will be staying a couple houses down from them at my sister-in-law's home.
I'm posting because I know this is going to be difficult for me. My mother-in-law has always appeared nervous, anxious, uptight to me. Initially my observations were dismissed, however, now that she's ill, everyone is saying she is obviously anxious and confrontational. In my family, when someone acted this way it meant, "HIT THE DECK! SHIT IS ABOUT TO GO DOWN!" So I react by becoming anxious myself.
My quandary is how to cope with the stress? Any good techniques anyone can suggest?
We won't be staying with my husband's parents, we will be staying a couple houses down from them at my sister-in-law's home.
I'm posting because I know this is going to be difficult for me. My mother-in-law has always appeared nervous, anxious, uptight to me. Initially my observations were dismissed, however, now that she's ill, everyone is saying she is obviously anxious and confrontational. In my family, when someone acted this way it meant, "HIT THE DECK! SHIT IS ABOUT TO GO DOWN!" So I react by becoming anxious myself.
My quandary is how to cope with the stress? Any good techniques anyone can suggest?
