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Holiday Spirit

Holidays are hard—for so many people and for so many reasons. To me, the illusion of a picture-perfect holiday is unyielding. It's elusive and can't be captured, yet year after year, we repeat our efforts to pursue it. We stress over presents, trying to find the perfect things for everyone on our list. We fill our backgrounds with the music of the season and hope for a wonderful holiday.

Except, it doesn't always work like that. Family members disappoint each other. Plans get canceled. Things get said, and the words sting. A gift we've given seems to fall short, and we are left feeling insufficient. Still, it's never really about the gifts. It's about the emotions the season brings to the surface.

There are no Christmas cards that describe the difficult parts of the season. Even at my age, I still grapple with this at times. I use that struggle to remind myself that the holidays are hard for everyone. It's not just me. 

Some of our students, some of our friends, some of our colleagues—they could be facing heartbreak this time of year. Life changing adversity not the simple worry of forgetting a present for someone; hardships like grief, dysfunction, loss, food insecurity, loneliness, worry and more. 

Perhaps the best gift we can give each other is recognizing that holidays are messy for so many of us, and remembering that we need not be alone nor ashamed in our struggles. 

If Christmas Hits Different This Year - TobyMac and Tasha Layton

Comments

  1. AnonymousDecember 21, 2024 at 11:58 AM

    Good servants are called to endure the hardest things.

    ReplyDelete

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