It is not an easy time for some people during the season of Christmas as it draws near. I know that I am get very excited as people who know me are aware. LOL. And I do enjoy most parts of Christmas and its preparation even if it is over-the-top in commercial and frenzy and giddiness. Just look around you and almost on every corner you meet, you see signs and sights of “come in, come get me, best ever, can’t miss out, sale of the century” gift for…..YOU to get for someone, somewhere…NOW. Hard to resist. Right?? Hopefully, not.
Yet there is a part of me that thinks of the many people who find this time to be an unhappy season. The reason for the season gets lost in the pomp and ceremony of the human, and forget about the spirit of Christmas. It does not give that joy and pleasure and a sense of hope for all. It creates unfortunately an anxiety, anxiousness, wariness, sadness, hopelessness, loneliness and sometimes even worse….not to be around. Oh my. Oh Why?
I caught an ear full to an old song this week that I had not heard in a very long time. The radio was playing that 80’s song from Bandaid. You know with Bono, Wham, Kool and the Gang, Sting and Paul Young etc, the many musicians who came together to bring light and awareness of the those in Africa “Do They Know It’s Christmas Time”. Do you remember that song? As I am listening to it, I became aware that even in our own backyard, we have people who live in fear and dread of own lived life. A version of the song as we “look outside our window”. At Christmas time, there are some who do not and cannot see “we are having fun’. No room at the inn. There are no gifts under the tree, there is no dinner table to be welcomed at, there is not a “visions of sugar plums”, there is not….. Fill in the blank. It is a time of ‘fear and dread’ for many.
Why oh why does it have to be so sad and unhappy for those around us and for that matter across the world?! Christmas can be a time of loneliness and depression as a reality in self-reflecting on one’s own life lived. It also can be a time of grief as the loss of loved ones becomes more real in a season which was shared and now that person or persons have passed away.
The other side of it too is that it can be quite difficult and emotionally exhausting as people who prepare, get so carried away, there is a worry of not doing enough, getting enough, having enough etc. Stress and illness can take place leaving all the lead up from the prep, parties, increased events attended. The end of year draws near so timelines and getting things done so holidays can be enjoyed. Leaving one to be spent, fraught with angst and so not in the mood to celebrate.
Extremes. On the one hand, a sadness and loneliness built up to emotionally drained from exhaustion of high expectations to stress of family gatherings to disappointment of not being able to see who you want, to pressures of perceived obligations of gift giving or not, to financial stress, to being alone. But thinking of others, if someone cannot spend with loved ones or maybe do not have any loved ones to share with because of circumstances in their life, then cheer becomes a fear. So in those moments people are left with own thoughts, on their own, by themselves. No cheering up from outside and with own sad thoughts, no cheering up on the inside either.
I hope and pray for those who struggle during this holiday season. No matter what, all of us deserve to have a feeling of being loved and cared for. It is a time for caring, to let down our guards so to speak and just love one another. Of feeling a sense of happy even if fleeting. Oh to give that to someone….I put that out there. There is room at the table this day. Blessings.
Let us pray for those whom are in need of prayers and for those who feel a hopelessness that they find peace and know during this time they are care and thought of. Amen
Karenpondering 