Holiday To or Holiday From?

We are about to wrap up our first of two, back to back, major holiday experiences. Actually, we share in other holidays throughout the year but these two are the biggest and many would say the best. Thanksgiving, and then Christmas. They represent quite a tandem. A blessing for some and a burden for others. For some, it is a welcome escape from a life of work and worry. For others, it is an opportunity to remember, reflect, and recreate. For some, it is a painful experience because of the absence of relationships lost. For others, it is a time of sweet reunion.

So, what do you do? I really believe it is a check up time. There is no doubt that to embrace times of thanksgiving and celebration is healthier than having to endure them. Having people to embrace and having something to celebrate would also seem to be a signal of a life well done. But, what about people who have lost loved ones and what about others who have challenging work lives? What about others who deal with the darkness of holiday depression? I think they are important questions that need to be engaged.

Whatever your life reality is, it is yours to live. Holidays can give you the opportunity to pause and reflect. If you have lost someone you loved, as painful as it is, take time to reflect on the love you shared. Many, if not most, never get to experience intimacy in this life. Celebrating memories is a significant part of life's rhythms. Remembering is vital to living.

If work is challenging or even threatened, then holidays give us the time to breathe and think about our possibilities. We can't change things over which we have no control, however, we always have the power to choose how we will respond. It is not easy. It is not fun. It may seem impossible. It might cause you to seek out counsel or even charity. Which brings us back to the relationship question. What kind of community have you built for yourself?

So, holidays represent a significant dynamic in our lives. Whatever they mean to you, let them work for you. Take time to take your emotional and relational pulse. Seize the opportunity to embrace someone present or the memory of someone past. Don't miss the rhythm. These holidays create music you really need to hear. My prayer is that you will have a healthy and a joy filled holiday season even through tears. Do well, my friends.