Day 120

Day 120:

I'm not sure if I've mentioned this before, I suppose it's the sort of thing that creeps up on you, but becomes more apparent as you get closer to the day.

It doesn't really feel like Christmas this year.

Christmas means something different to everyone. If you are younger, it's about presents and Santa and food and parties and Christmas magic. If you are older, it's about spending time with family, getting a brief reprieve from work, and being thankful for the things that you have. However, there is a more hidden aspect of Christmas (and other events that people celebrate) that makes it feel so magical. It's that warmth and contentment that you feel inside. The welling sense of, excitement and joy and safety in your environment. It's the little things that you do only at Christmas. It's being able to walk into a shop and buy the food that you want, without really looking at the price or the red dietary labels. It's about the traditions that you repeat year after year, that help you really know that this is Christmas time, and that you can enjoy it.

Maybe it's because I'm at a sort of cross-over age for Christmas, but those things feel, a little distant this year. So many people can't just walk into a shop and buy the things that they want, even for Christmas. Many can't feel that sense of warmth, because the house is cold. Some presents are missing, the table is less full. But more than that, the feelings of safety and comfort, are standing in the shadow of the anxiety and stresses that we are still carrying. In trying to make sure that the big things are accounted for, we are neglecting the little things, which are what make Christmas so magical. A cold Christmas means that there is little rest and relaxation for the next year. If you can't enjoy Christmas, the rest of your year will be negatively impacted. It's a vicious cycle, that impacts those in our society who are already struggling the most.

Time passes and things change for all of us. No matter how many traditions we have, Christmas can never stay the same forever. For many people, the Christmases of their childhoods hold wonderful and powerful memories. For many reasons, those people come to realise that being with those people, in those places, and feeling that sense of warmth, will never happen again. But this need not be just a reason for sadness, it should also be a reason for hope. Just as people from previous Christmases may not come back, new people can come into our lives, and bring a new sense of joy, and love, and happiness. In losing some traditions, new ones may fill their places, adapting what Christmas means to you, and helping it to support your needs. 

Christmas may be different for you this year, but that doesn't mean that you should have to lose your sense of joy. To follow a Christmas routine that brings more stress than joy, is to lose out on the real magic of Christmas. For it to 'feel' like Christmas, there don't need to be Christmas songs playing, or big flashy trees, or lots of presents. For it to 'feel' like Christmas, there needs to be love and compassion for others, and for yourself. Christmas magic is love, manifesting itself in different ways all around us, each year. And no matter what hardships we endure, no matter what happens in the world, or to us, love will always endure, and so will the magic of Christmas.