“I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach.” – A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens
Most of us know the unforgettable literary work of Dickens via A Christmas Carol. We’ve watched the movie in its many reincarnations; we’ve read the story aloud to children and grandchildren. So what, if anything at all, does the famous story tell us about 2022 and 2023, since our culture swings wildly between hating and loving the Christmas holiday season? Where is the balance, the sense of peace with the season itself? Some people have somehow achieved that delicate balance, but many haven’t. Does this dynamic add even more stress to the season?
It really does seem that we (a culture, a society) struggle enormously during the holiday season. We don’t know what we want―fun and excess, gifts and holiday lights, sappy movies and sugar treats, or a laid back, “keep-it-simple” approach to the season. So our inner conflicts stir the pot, keeping everyone on edge, right?
Why can’t we accept the imperfection of the season?
In this brief holiday post, that’s the question I have to leave you with, because the season will never be exactly as we want it to be: something is bound to go wrong; something won’t meet our expectations; maybe there won’t even be a hint of snow. The new holiday movies will surely bore us to tears; the cookies we bought from a wonderful bakery won’t measure up, right?
But if we can keep things light … remember how quickly the season comes and goes with many of us running around in a strange, dreamlike state … and maybe focus on doing just a few things this year, things that are joyful and meaningful, as opposed to complicated and expensive … we might be on a more comfortable holiday path.
We know one thing: resistance is futile. It merely makes us feel more stressed, annoyed, scattered, and frustrated. We seem to know what we like and don’t like about the season, but maybe it’s easier to merely experience the holidays as an adventure … kick back, see where things lead!
Because someone really does need a new pair of socks, or a smile, or maybe just a kind word. And life will be ordinary and normal again in January. So why not settle in, let the experience speak to you in new ways … add a sense of adventure to plans and projects … and most of all, take time to share your wisdom, your heart, with others. It’s amazing what a difference the small things can make in December, or anytime, for that matter.
Until 2023, be well, and Merry Christmas! — dh
“One can never have enough socks. Another Christmas has come and gone and I didn’t get a single pair. People will insist on giving me books.”
– Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, J.K. Rowling
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