This is a good month to remember to put peace first in our family situations. This is a very emotional time for many of us; card-sending and gift-giving, decorating, parties, family get-togethers and visits from friends— all the hodge-podge of sensations that make up the holiday season can cause unexpected stresses and pressures in our closest re-lationships. While we want to do everything and share all the good times of this season with our families, it is also important, as Kahlil Gibran says, to "let there be spaces in your togetherness." We need to remember to give our loved ones breathing room, especially at this time of year. Everyone has more to do than he seems to have time for. We can relax our mental and emotional hold on our family members, giving them space to unfold without pressure from us. We can set everyone free from the pressure of our conscious or unconscious, spoken or unspoken, demands or expectations And for us and for them, the holidays will truly be holy-days, filled with joy and love.