I had the opportunity to watch a couple of movies this week as the holidays approached, and I realized how often movies portray the nature of our families as we grew up. It is indeed a bottomless pit of possibilities for fun and dysfunction!

I noticed how uncomfortable I often was in watching ones that reminded me more how I felt in my family of origin, and how much more comfortable I was watching the ones that really showed the craziness, but also a deep acceptance and love. The one that brought me the most tears, laughter and joy at the end was Little Miss Sunshine. A mess of characters to be sure, all packed in a VW bus, but it was the total acceptance of their differences and uniqueness that finally cracked open their immense love for each other.

I am most grateful as we approach Thanksgiving, that I have in my two sons and daughter-in-law, the family I always wanted: the ones who would jump up on stage with me if I was making an utter fool of myself (if for no reason other than the fact the people I was trying to please were the real jackasses). There is no right or wrong way to do most things, only different ways. We lose a lot when we forget that and criticize one another for being different. The saddest part is they also miss out on feeling the love that we may actually feel for them.

I know my family knows who I am, and while we may not always agree with each other, we respect each others differences and actually seek  them out, rather than a family group-think mentality. We all learn life lessons from each other, and I hope that will never end. It is that for which I am most thankful. Enjoy your family, and lighten up on those criticisms….instead, how about telling them one thing that you love most about them because it is different from you!