This time of year is filled with anticipation about spending time with family and friends or shopping to find the best discounts. It also can be filled with grief and anxiety about missing loved ones who have passed on or other memorable events that deal with loss. In both instances the emotions are high. If spending time with family it’s usually over a good meal, music, fun and creating lasting joyful memories. If grieving the loss of loved
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ones it can send a person into a pit of further grieving.
Today I had the day off and decided to go for a short walk. During the walk I started thinking about the various posts on social media about the holiday season. There was a range from missing the dearly departed, not celebrating holidays for religious, political or cultural reasons,
post-election experiences, and thoughts about Black Friday. And last but not least there were those post about family members not talking to other family members or not feeling in the holiday spirit for a variety of reasons. This lead to going further down the rabbit hole to find that some didn’t feel up to cooking, some felt liberated from cooking and some wanted to try a different banquet style menu or have their feast on the weekend. The reasons ran the gamut of weighing on either the positive, neutral or negative side of the scale. This had me thinking about what can I do personally to rid myself of any real or perceived reasons for not feeling included or excluded in this season.
I am not a big fan of celebrating holidays if it only entails shopping for expensive gifts. But I do enjoy spending time with family and friends that I may not otherwise get to spend time with. It is also a time where the weather is very beautiful if experiencing a fresh fall of snow not necessarily the cold. I also like the beautiful lights and festive decorations seen around town. It gives one a pleasant experience that stimulates the senses.
I thought to myself as I was on the walk about how painful these experiences can also be and to not take them lightly. People are suicidal at this time of year. Others suffer from depression. While others may just not feel connected to the season at all. This brought to mind how powerful the human connection is. It also had me thinking of what lengths we could possibly consider going through that would make us feel more connected to ourselves and others.
Whether enjoying this season or basking in its grandeur from afar, it speaks volumes on the importance of what is valuable in our lives. The human connection cannot be undervalued. I encourage you to step out of your comfort zone or fear zone. Reach out to someone who you may have been avoiding. Reach out to someone who you assumed does not want to talk to you or is holding a grudge against you. Reach out to a relative that you may have dismissed over a big family issue but want to rekindle the bond you once had. If invited for a meal, whether it is your favorite banquet style spread or a simple yet elegant meal, go for it.
My point is I hope to encourage you to take the first step in healing some of the distance and patching up some open wounds that have been created so that you may feel the love you want to give or receive. Of course taking action is your call and always will be. But just for today, I hope you at least think about it. What will this season be for you this year? Will it be the same as last year? Will it be a season of something different? Empower yourself today. The power rests with you. You get to choose.
Giving thanks,
