I’m going to be very un-PC and use this inopportune time of the year to be a little bah-humbug. You see, not everyone loves the holidays. Not everyone is Buddy the Elf. In fact, some people dread the holidays, like no other time of the year. Most of the people I know, who I am intimate enough to be honest with, have a lot of mixed-bag emotions around this time of the year. And that’s okay. I’m one of those mixed-bag people. Some of the holiday events make me feel excited, happy, joyful and peaceful. Some holiday events make me feel sad, nostalgic, aggravated, resentful and bring up old grief.
I consider myself an optimistic, upbeat person. I don’t like being around Debbie Downers, nor do I want to be perceived as one. That being said, it’s okay to move your thoughts to the positive aspects of the holiday season, without denying that the sad, painful, thoughts arise sometimes, too. I just try to notice those darker thoughts, accept them and then refocus on things that I am looking forward to, in the new year.
In the end, I want you to know that I will be a constant throughout the holidays. I have posted every single day since the middle of July and I will continue to post every single day until I run out of things to say and I guarantee you, that unless my mind, hands, or wifi stops working, I will continue to post on a daily basis throughout the holidays to the new year, for certain. So, if you need a break from it all, grab a gingerbread cookie and come sit with my post. I’ll feel your presence and you can feel mine. Whatever you’re feeling is okay. If you are merry or lonely, over-excited or depressed, it’s all okay. If you are filled with hilarity or filled with pent-up frustration, feel your feels and set them free. I’m here for you. I understand. Don’t try to change your feelings. Just let them be. Believe it or not, your feelings are a precious gift from above. They are proof of just how vividly alive you are and how you are so attuned to the experience of Life.
“Christmas brings me a sense of nostalgia that makes me feel sadly happy and at the same time, happily sad!” – Jean-Paul Malfatti
Thank you dear friend. This time of year is definitely a mixed bag of emotions, thoughts, and memories. I think we need to realize it’s perfectly normal, and there’s a collective commonality that others go through the same array. If we realize that, we don’t feel so alone in that, and we can have compassion for others as well as ourselves. We are real honest beings, and not downers or fake. We need to reminder that. Hugs!
<3
Love this one today! How did you know it was just what I needed to hear?
I’m here for you, friend. <3