As I get older, I experience Christmas differently. I’ve noticed hints of sadness as I reflect on people who were important parts of my Christmas’s as a kid who are no longer here.
The presents 🎁 from my Grandma Carol and Grandpa Ford that were always under the tree 🌲 along with their faithful Christmas Day visits.
I remember Thanksgiving and Christmas gatherings from my childhood, how happy they were and how those specific experiences, and moments and combinations of people are gone forever.
Christmas and the ethos in the air around holiday time is so nostalgic. It floods memories and emotions back into consciousness.
It’s easy to long for days, people, ideas and other things gone by.
I can see why this time can be experienced as both joyous and depressing by different people.
I guess I foolishly thought I was alone in some of my sporadic holiday sadness.
This morning on our mastermind – I realized I’m not. These feelings are very common.
I’m inspired to know that those who have gone before, who created such wonderful experiences and memories for me – dealt with the same challenges and found a way to smile, and laugh and give – even though they had similar heart hurts.
If you find yourself feeling alone or sad this holiday season – in the midst of a sea of smiling faces, please remember that those smiles are much deeper than the happiness they display, and that there are probably many more like you, than you think.
Life is complicated.
My friend Amy told me, when my grandpa died, that “Grief is a beautiful, wild beast.”
So is life.
Take heart. Allow the memories and people of the past to inspire you to create and embrace new memories for yourself and the people around you.
Sad days and moments come, but like the sun follows the night, are inevitably replaced with happier times and better moments.
Allow the bitter to lean you into the full experience of the sweet.
All things are working together for our good. ❤💫