PUBLISHERS NOTE: ‘Tis the season for me to at least think about writing a new blog article for the holidays. I have been publishing the Ohio Family Law Blog for 9 years now, so I decided to go back into the archives and read some of my past posts about the holidays. This one from December 11, 2010, caught my attention. The traditions mentioned in it have continued in our family. The post stands the test of time (at least in my mind). So, here it is once more!
I haven’t written an article about the holiday season for the Ohio Family Law Blog for a couple of years. At that time, I mentioned that this is certainly an appropriate time to reflect upon core values as well as memories of past Christmas celebrations and traditions.
In our family, we were very involved with a Christmas project providing gifts for needy children for many years while our sons were growing up. As a family, we spent countless hours working at the Center. We have tried to instill upon our family the importance of sharing and helping others. It is too easy this time of year to become consumed by all … Read More... “Take the ‘Gimme’ out of Christmas!”
Here we are in the post-holiday pall. While the holidays are difficult for those who have experienced a loss of any kind, they are stressful to some degree for all of us. We eat too much, drink too much, spend too much and in many cases have “too much” family or possibly, too little. And while there a kind of relief to having the holidays behind us, the let-down presents its’ own challenges.
Around this time of year, it is impossible to go anywhere without hearing or seeing something reminding us to “give thanks” and to get into the “holiday” spirit. However, as the joy and excitement of the season spreads, so does the stress and anxiety that goes along with it. While it may seem strange to those of us who believe this is the “most wonderful time of the year,” for the victims of child abuse, it can actually be the worst.
Call it a clash of cultures. Thousands of college students will soon travel home for 
The first of the year is the time that many unhappy couples who are reluctant to break up the family during the holidays officially start their divorces. January is often called the “divorce month.” This trend occurs not only in the United States but in the UK and abroad as well. According to a recent study in England one in five couples had plans to divorce after the holidays.
I was pondering a list of various topics for this blog article. I wanted to publish a strong blog article to start 2015. I started a couple and even finished one that wasn’t honestly that memorable. So I decided to hold that one in the “bank” for another less important time of the year. The start of any new year is an obvious time for reflection and to take an inventory of our blessings and shortcomings.
Well, the holiday hoopla is ramping up. Displays of sparkly red and green stuff has taken center stage in our stores, catalogues are arriving in droves, internet sites are offering deals, discounts and sales on every imaginable product. Magazines at the grocery checkout display unbelievable glossy covers of gorgeous people, in gorgeous houses, serving gorgeous food. Now with the sudden drop in temperature and the promise of snow this week, the reality that the holidays are descending on us is unavoidable.