This is Eric Glass.

On This American Life, we specialize in compelling stories from everyday life.

I was like, wow, you literally just died and came back.

And the first thing you asked is, do you need any money?

Your life stories, really good ones, in your podcast feed, This American Life.

You're listening to Life Kit from NPR.

Hey everybody, it's Mariel.

I think we can all agree the holiday season is an intense time.

I think that for a lot of people, it is extraordinarily joyous and wonderful and magical.

For other people, it can be painful.

And I think for a vast majority of people, it's all of the above.

That's Daniel Olavaria. He's a licensed psychotherapist. And he says if you are going into

your family gatherings this year with some apprehension, that's understandable. But maybe you

could also see this moment as an opportunity. To say, hey, there's this like undercurrent of

tension or frustration or resentment that I've been carrying

for a really long time, this can be a chance to work through that, especially if we walk

into that conversation intentionally.

You don't necessarily want to have this combo over Christmas dinner, but the feelings

you're having could be a catalyst.

In any case, on this edition of Dear Life Kit, Daniel talks with reporter Andy Tagle about how to navigate the tensions

that come up when families gather. And really, his advice is helpful for any time of the year.

Because, let's be honest, that fight with your sister, it didn't start last week.

...