The Reason for the Season - Part II - The Other Side of Merriment

For many, the season that's upon us is anything but  merry.  In fact, sometimes we even dread this time of year.  How can people feel so merry, when I'm feeling so blue??  Perhpas they weren't touched by the painful experiences we were.  Perhaps they have, but have since reached a place we haven't--places of peace and resolution and acceptance.  Sometimes our painful experiences are so profound, such as the aching lonliness from the loss of dear ones or isolation or rejection from family or friends, that the tears that run down our faces and cling to our chins is reflected in everything we see.

And every step we take feels like trudging uphill through a foot of snow.....

And things just look and feel bleak and cold.

No matter how deep we may sink in our feelings, it's there, in that place and in our solitude--in our most quiet moments, that we should allow ourselves to embrace, rather than push away, feeling those things in our lives.  And it's okay!  We're justified and allowed to--and usually, once we're there, we then can recognize that there are forces from Above that can help us rise from that place.

It's there right before us......

And more easily in reach than we think.  We all know that in this season of giving, that act in itself somehow turns things around.  When we help another person in any way that's meaningful to them, it can let a little light shine into the crack of our door.  One small thing within our capability, when we share a bit of ourselves, we find we are bigger than we think.  Stronger than we feel.  And by lifting up someone else, we, too, become lifted up.

It's human nature to give.  We're also so conditioned to give.  And while the act of giving is vital to our existence and the existence of others, equally important is allowing ourselves  to be lifted up by someone or something else. That's a hard concept for some of us to embrace!  We must recognize our own needs and know it's okay to accept an extended hand when one is offered to us, thus allowing someone else  to shine in their  own act of kindness!  What we give, we get back, when or if we need it, as long as we're open to it.



May this season bring you hope and peace, comfort and joy.