Holiday Emotions

All of the Thanksgiving leftovers have been consumed, the Christmas trees are up, the presents are bought if not wrapped, the front of the house is decorated, the lights are on the bushes, and in the lobby of my building the Corporate Christmas tree stands tall. Tis the season to be jolly, right? Well, maybe, maybe not. The truth is that many people find the holidays a difficult and challenging time. While many people are “making merry”, others are sad or depressed. For many people the holidays stir up a lot of emotions and painful memories. Although I have never had a bad Christmas and I have a thousand reasons why I should be happy, I often feel depressed at this time of year. I am already looking forward to the nothingness of January although I generally like the holiday season. There is something in the air that doesn’t seem to be around the rest of the year. Little kids smile at me because they think I am Santa Claus. I usually get everything I want and some things I didn’t even know I wanted. I am very blessed in many ways. In spite of this, I often feel down in the dumps. I know I am not alone. Whatever your mindset, keep in mind that the Christmas season is a different experience for different people. Be sensitive to the feelings of others. I am a big fan of joy and I hope we all feel lots of joy over the coming weeks. If you don’t, however, you are not alone.