Do you want some drama with your turkey this year?
Jaycee Stone, Staff Writer
You are waiting for the turkey to be done, you hear the football going in the background while the football fanatics scream at the tv. You walk over to the table to get your place ready and your aunt comes up with the dreaded question waiting for you, “have you met that special someone yet?”
I am sure that most people have been a part of these types of conversations or even just witnessed them. Regardless, it is awkward and uncomfortable to say the least.
Thanksgiving is a time of gathering and catching up with those family members you do not see on a daily basis, but it is not a time for weird conversations. They seem to always arise though, no matter how the night starts off.
Some may dread Thanksgiving because it is always a hot spot for those awkward conversations, maybe new family dynamics or even after the election season. There are many ways to change the topic of discussion or even make a positive spin on it.
Hannah Staubs, student ministries coordinator at North Greenville University, said answering in a positive way, or turning something negative to positive will help.
This can be taken with most topics, for example when asked if you have met someone at college yet, you can divert it to “no, but I am okay with that and it’s all in good timing.”
According to Rachel Gillett with insider, you should try to be firm while also being polite. If you think the conversation is going in a weird direction and the push to change the topic is not working, then it is reasonable to ask politely if we can stop talking about it. If it makes you uncomfortable and you see similar looks that you are giving, you should stand up for that.
Another idea Gillett from Insider brings up is making the unavoidable debate turn into a dialogue. This means to listen thoroughly to one another and not disrespect the others opinion. This helps you to feel more connected, you know what the other is saying and acclaim each other’s feelings about certain topics.
It is important to understand where the other is coming from and try to comprehend how the other thinks. Some people just want to be heard and have a chance to express their opinion.
If you feel uncomfortable with this approach even, Staubs also said, “don’t be afraid to say ‘I don’t want to answer this, to be honest. Let me ask you this though __.’”
This could be helpful to let the other person release what they would like to, while still being controlled by a series of questions. It is easy to get sidetracked with this though, considering there are disagreements and some people are overbearing than others, but taking a deep breath and comprehending what the person has said is key.
During the holidays, it is easy to forget the reason for the season but it is important that when one remembers, they should spread that reason so more positivity can run through the family. There are those family members who can be hard headed and relentless, but taking them with a grain of salt is what is needed.
