Do you feel that you’re a freak because everyone around you seems to be looking forward to Christmas but you just wish the whole thing would go away? Is this the time of year you most dread, a time when everyone else seems to be happy and you’re the only one out of step with the spirit of the season? Well take heart, because what you are feeling is not unusual. In fact, it’s what many adults have to face at this time of year. “Happy Christmas” is a myth for a surprising number of people, and many of those who appear to be enjoying themselves are covering up their secret sadness because it’s what’s expected of them.

 

There are many reasons for people to be down at this time of year. Perhaps you are single when everyone else you know seems to be part of a couple. Perhaps you have suffered a bereavement and are facing Christmas without a loved one. Perhaps your finances are already strained and adding to your expenses by having to buy presents and provide extra food is just another stress in an already tense situation. Or perhaps the season brings back all sorts of memories of unhappy Christmas Pasts.

 

If this describes you, then you are not alone and you are not a freak. Just knowing this might help a lot to get you through the sad season. An old piece of advice is still a good one – look around for someone worse off than yourself and do something to help out. It really will make you feel a bit better. Don’t refuse offers of hospitality from others feeling that you will drag them down too – you are giving them the opportunity to feel good, which is a gift to them in itself, and it will make you feel better to have a bit of company – promise!

 

If money is an issue, don’t be pressured into giving gifts you can’t really afford. It truly is the thought that counts. People will remember how you made them feel long after a gift has been thrown away, worn out or used up. Did you know that more than 90% of gifts don’t hit the mark with the receiver? Is it really worth adding to your financial stress for consumer goods that aren’t going to be appreciated? Bake some cookies, make a special card, and remember that the Magi brought ONE gift for the infant King.

 

If the Reason for the Season means something to you, then go to church and take comfort from the message of the Birth of Christ. If you’re not religious, then there’s even less reason to be torturing yourself over an occasion that isn’t relevant to you. If all else fails, remind yourself that it’s only one day of the year, even if the build up to it seems to take forever, and once it’s over for this year, it’s a whole year before the Seasonal Horror rolls round again.

 

Blessings to you, in the REAL spirit of the season,

J

Faith