The Holiday Blues
Christmas for me has always been a festive season. You see loved ones, friends and have gatherings and get togethers with the people you love. However, I think it’s also important to remember Christmas isn’t always a festive or happy season for all. Some people have loved ones who passed away during this season and Christmas is a reminder of that loss. Other don’t have a happy home life or come from abusive or neglectful parents. Some people come from broken families. Christmas can also be “trigger” for many especially when they have to see family that they are not on good terms with. There is also such a thing called “SAD” or Seasonal Affective Disorder that occurs wherein your anxiety and depression is worsened in Christmas time due to the lack of sun especially in colder climates.
Personally i’ve also come to notice that Christmas has in many ways lost its essence of being about the birth of Christ and being grateful for our family. It has instead become an extremely materialistic tradition. It’s more of a time people shop till they drop and industries monetize off those willing to splurge on Christmas. This competitive nature of gift giving, much like Valentines, can actually be bad for people’s mental health, especially if they are not as financially capable as their friends or family and they want to save. This season also has become a competition of sorts on social media, and those who don’t receive many gifts, attend as many parties or have a happy family may feel extremely lonely or left out.
Usually during Christmas or my birthday I do an outreach every year, not because I want to be seen as good or saintly, but because I feel like it grounds me to reality. It was ingrained in me as a Lasallian to help others for the greater good. Seeing children who have survived with very little in slums and in war torn places and forcing myself outside my comfort zone makes me realize how privileged my life is. It makes me realize how much I take my blessings for granted. Outreaches especially in orphanages also help me to realize, children don’t need that many things to be happy. Children just need basic needs and love. As someone who was very spoiled as a child, i’ve seen firsthand in myself and in others how spoiling can truly ruin character and work ethic. It can take years to unlearn the entitlement and sense of privilege spoiled children acquire. It's essential to remember what Christmas is actually about beyond the gifts and the holiday parties. Ironically, the Savior Jesus was born in an extremely simple town and he had very humble beginnings as seen with his parents. There was no grand party and the gifts were simple and few.
It’s important to not get too lost in the materialistic culture that Christmas time promotes. It’s a good time to be grateful for all the things going well in your life and to give back if you can. If you have wifi, a home to call your own, clean water to drink and a job, you are already part of the extremely privileged minority of humanity. At the end of the day, the only thing that matters is Love. Your Love for your child, your parents, your pets, your family, your friends and your community. All the gifts and material things are just the cherry on top of the ice cream sundae that is your life. Instead of counting all the things you didn't get or comparing your life to another person’s highlights reel, stay grateful. Appreciate what you already have. All the things you take for granted is what someone else is dreaming of. Remember that a grateful heart is a happy heart.
“Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.” - Eckhart Tolle