The holidays are here and what is going through your mind right now? Are you anxious? Do you have unfounded fears that seep through your usually logical mind? Will family get along this year? Do you think you have changed in a way that makes you wonder how you will react when family gathers this year? Are you playing an old tape in your mind that is not who you are today? Does your current living situation reflect who you are both physically and mentally? What does the coming year mean to you? Is your current lifestyle a reflection of who you truly are today? Do you have a spouse or partner that has had health changes and assessing the future in both housing and needs?

None of us have all of the answers to the questions posed above. We are humans with differing moods, situations, fears, and concerns. All of us can be certain on solutions one day and then wake up the next wondering what the heck possessed our minds just 24 hours ago!

Family gatherings can be a catalyst for change but also can reveal issues to our loved ones who truly care about our health and safety. Often, I will get calls after the holidays from children concerned with mom and dad’s current living situation. You can’t blame them. They do love you and want the best for you, but can they truly understand what it is like to be a senior who has loved their home of many years? Will they give you the benefit of the doubt when you shy away from discussing your future housing plans? This dynamic, between family members can expose troubling issues on all sides.

When talking to our loved ones this holiday season, try to listen. Try to understand where that loved one’s intentions lie. Share your story so future family members can know who you truly are, rather than projecting what they may know about you. Keep in mind that love is truly all that matters, and family gatherings bind us together in ways we don’t truly understand.

We are complex beings. We all want happiness, safety, and well-being for the rest of our lives. Unfortunately, none of us have a glimpse into the future so we are using our inner gut feelings and the information we gather to make those best critical decisions. We then will second guess ourselves after we decide what makes the most sense for our future lifestyles.

This is a very different year when it comes to politics, interest rates, your savings, economy, and world peace. There is much confusion as to what will happen in the coming years. Will interest rates continue to rise? Will inflation relax or will it continue its upward climb? What will happen to the value of your home? All of these questions and more create a very anxious holiday season.

Notice how many questions I have unearthed in this article. I wish I could say I have the answers, but in this particular case, only you have the solutions to your individual situation. Only you can decide to make these holidays positive or negative. I believe either is normal. Yes, we want to put on a smile and composed presentation to our friends and family during these holidays, but behind that grin can be a sadness as to the well-being of those we love and ourselves. We are always assessing where we are and how those thoughts will affect the future. That is who we are. We are complex beings with many gifts and idiosyncrasies. Give yourself a brake this holiday season and know that you are doing the best you can with the cards you have been dealt. Life is not always fair, but the quality of our lives will be measured by the way we deal with those hands we have been dealt.

My wife Jeanne and I would like to wish you all a very happy and healthy holiday season. I want to personally thank you for your readership, and I hope in some small way I have hit a nerve over that past years that have given you information you need when it comes to your real estate needs and questions. Please feel free to share your thoughts and experiences with all I share in my articles. It is you that I truly care about, and if I have changed one life for the better, I have helped to change the world for the better!