A Tip for More Peaceable Family Gatherings

This holiday season, I realized that one important communication skill is essential to surviving many a holiday gathering. Those of you that read this blog regularly know that I love words, so I am excited to inform you that this magical skill has a name – tact. Tact is a word that refers both skill in dealing with difficult or delicate situations or a knack for knowing what to say or do in order to avoid offending others. In a time where people often pride themselves on being “uncensored”, letting their opinions be known, or saying what is on their … Continue reading

The Who’s Who of Relatives and Relations

You may have attended one or more family gatherings over the past few days. Sometimes, it is clear who everyone in the room is. Other times, there are relations and relationships that leave you wondering what the proper genealogical term is to describe them. For example, my husband and I took our son to my aunt’s house on Christmas Eve. My dad was there, and his relationship to my son is easy to figure out – he is his grandfather. Three of my aunts and two of my uncles were there. These wonderful people are my son’s great aunts and … Continue reading