Being a mother of 6 children, I think I have only gone “out on the town” once or twice for my “New Year’s Celebration”.  Like many parents, I enjoy celebrating my holidays with my family and friends.  We, as parents, love to see our children celebrating and having fun in more of a “healthy” environment as opposed to a “questionable” technique.  Through my childhood and adult years, I have seen many examples of both the “healthy” and the “questionable” ways of life.  I cannot say that it was the “questionable” way of life that took my son from me, as we have all been given “free-will”. However, I can say that, in my opinion, I continue my search for improvements on keeping my children safe and out of harm’s way.

The holiday season is a time for celebration, yet seems to be the most stressful and emotional time of the year. Many of us go through these periods every year, like clock-work.  Often I wonder; “Why do we “decide” to suffer these “times” alone?”  In my own experience with loved ones, it seems to me that they “hide” from their emotions “behind” the alcohol, which can also lead to a rise in Domestic Violence.

How can we reach our potential for creating a healthy and strong family bond?  First and foremost, above all else, I believe that God plays the most important role:  “With God, all things are possible”;  Matthew 19:26.  Accept Him.  Pray to Him.  Believe in Him.  On that note,  how can we celebrate the coming of a new year?   There are many ways to celebrate New Year’s Eve, amongst other holidays, that does not include alcohol or breaking your wallet.

As a child, I remember the non-alcoholic cocktail, “Shirley Temple”, as a favorite of mine.  But, there are many, many other non-alcoholic cocktails that would be a hit for children and adults of all ages, while providing a cheerful, festive look.  In addition, depending on the person’s preference, may even taste better than alcohol.  You can find many non-alcoholic drink mixes on the internet; such as margaritas, mojitos, mudslides, daiquiris, screwdriver, and many more;  according to a person’s tastes, the list is endless.

For many drinkers, they may believe that drinking helps them relax and have fun; so, they drink, they relax, they have fun, then, they get behind the wheel of a vehicle; putting loved ones, friends, family, and many other innocent people’s lives at risk.  Not only that, but for many who celebrate New Year’s Eve with alcohol, they awaken the next day without recognition of the last evenings full events.  That, in my book, would not be the way that I would like to begin my New Year, nor would I want “that” to be the first memory of myself in the eyes of my friends and family. 

From my childhood through my adulthood and as a mother, some of my fondest memories are spending New Year’s Eve with my family at my grandmother’s house.  We gather at grandma’s to play games, put puzzles together, watch family videos, and recently took up bowling.  Although bowling does cost money; and for large families, can be expensive; many people do have games or puzzles that they can bring with them to a celebration.  In addition, there are also many games that can be played without any “materials needed”.  Charades is full of fun and laughter and can be adjusted to be played by any age group. The game of Pictionary really only requires pencil and paper.  With a little imagination, there are endless possibilities to your New Year’s Eve fun. 

It is nice to gather with extended family and loved ones, and even just the gathering alone is just cause for celebration.  For those of us who do not have family living nearby, a gathering of friends is just as rewarding, after all, friends are our extended family that we have chosen ourselves. 

Love is “unconditional” and we love our family and friends.  “Unconditional” does not judge.  Why should we be worried about what we did the night before??  Why should we be worried about “making fools of ourselves” without being able to blame it on alcohol??  Shouldn’t we feel proud to know that we can build a stronger family bond??  Wouldn’t it be nice to know that we did not put anyone’s life in danger??  Wouldn’t it be nice to remember all of the fun that was had while celebrating??  Don’t we want our children knowing and seeing that they too, as adults, can have fun without the use of alcohol??