A ‘Relative’ Problem

The voices, noises, and music were loud. Harley held his breath as the sound of footsteps parading past him down the hall echoed within the cabinet that he hid in. He lost track of how long he had been in the small space. It could have been a few minutes, or it could have been an hour. But whatever the time had been, he was just thankful for his own space – however tight it was.  

He could hear more voices and recognized Harpers. Daring to peek out, he saw her looking just as frazzled as he had felt and quickly made the decision to take pity on her.  

Opening the cabinet door a little further, he whispered her name sharply. Her ears caught wind of her name, and she looked about in curiously. Whispering again, he got her to notice the cabinet and inched out a finger to beckon her to him.  

“Hurry, or you will be seen,” Harley said tersely between his teeth and curled his knees up to his chest to make room.  

“Thank you so much!” Harper whispered back, “I almost couldn’t take it any longer!” 

It was day five of seven of their cousins visiting for the holidays, and they were going crazy! Their Aunt Cindy had two kids, a six-year-old Lucas and nine-year-old Leah. The first day had been fine, but problems started on Christmas when Lucas promptly broke one of Harper’s toys after they had finished opening gifts. Harley had an issue with Leah always in his business and butting into his room. It felt like neither of the twins had any privacy and all their belongings were becoming overused by their cousins.  

“I can’t wait until they leave,” Harley uttered to his sister. 

“Same here!” Harper crossed her fingers.  

“Hold on, Cindy, let me check.” They heard Dad call out to his sister-in-law.  

The twins each held up a finger to shh each other. They saw their dad’s shadow and heard his steps stop in front of them. The shelf above them housed all the nice linens and cloth napkins for special occasions.  

Harley hung his head; they were about to be found. 

Dad opened the door and jumped a foot in the air. Startled, he asked out, “Harley! Harper! What are you two doing in there?” 

“Shhh!” Harley didn’t want his dad to draw attention to themselves. 

“Oh?” Dad looked around, “Are you playing hide and seek?” 

Harper caught her brother’s gaze and they each debated lying to their dad. But…that would be wrong. But…the truth sounded just as bad if they admitted it.  

“Well?” Dad shrugged, not wanting to ruin their good hiding spot but also intrigued by the silence.  

“We are hiding…” Harley started, but his face wasn’t matching his explanation.  

“Yes, but not as part of a game.” 

“Who are you hiding from them?” Dad laughed but started to put the pieces together as he saw their faces when the voices of his niece and nephew could be heard in the other room. He knew all too well what they might be feeling and hunched low, waving them to join him as they quietly went out the back door, “You’re hiding from your cousins, aren’t you?” 

“I’m sorry, Dad,” Harley nodded in reply, “I just need some space.” 

“Yeah, I love them, but I need some rest. Lucas is always at my heels, and Leah won’t leave Harley alone!” 

Dad smiled knowingly, “You are not the first to need space from visiting relatives over the holidays. Trust me, sometimes I want a break from Aunt Cindy. You see, any time there is a break in your daily routine, an invasion of your privacy, or an overload of stimulation – it can be a struggle.” 

“Exactly!” The twins said in unison, “That is what I am feeling!” Harley continued. 

Dad nodded, “It is normal to want some time alone when family comes, but we also cannot forget to be hospitable. I bet that Lucas and Leah wanted some space when we visited them in the spring. Weren’t you both always asking to use their scooters and hoverboard?” 

“But Dad! That was different; we don’t have a hoverboard and the scooters were to go to the candy shop down the street.” 

“Yes, and Lucas and Leah don’t have the same toys you do or are familiar with our town as you are. You each must take turns hosting each other in your homes.” 

It started to click slowly, but Harley still didn’t like when Leah would invade his room, “I see about being a host, but is it wrong of me to want my room to myself?” 

“No, it’s not wrong, but you need to have patience with your cousins. They are your family, and you only have a short time with them. How about when you need some time for yourself, you come and find me or Mom. We understand and can make sure you get a little ‘me-time.’” 

The twins shook their hands in agreement. They knew that their cousins loved them, and time with them wasn’t all bad. Knowing that Dad understood helped a lot. They shook off their frustrations and got ready to head back inside. 

**Do you have any cousins or family that visit for the holidays? If so, how do you handle the change to your routine? Even if there are disruptions, don’t forget that family is there to celebrate the same thing together, and at the end of the day, love and time spent is what matters most.