Every time I celebrate Christmas, I feel sad. It’s not that I don’t like Christmas, in fact I love the festive season. The bitterly cold but refreshing air, the excitement of snow in the atmosphere, the unavoidable anticipation of what could be wrapped up and under the tree. The food, the smells, and let’s not forget the alcohol, all combine to make Christmas a special time.
What makes me sad, however is thinking of broken families. Children whose parents have split and aren’t on talking terms. Children who have never met their mum or dad. People who have had some unspeakable tragedy throughout the year and are missing a special someone. Older children who have fallen out with their parents and are no longer on speaking terms. The list goes on. How about the old person who is all alone with family to far away to visit?
Feeling sad yet? It should be a time of joy, a time for peace and fellowship but instead more and more of our Christmases are being ravaged by internal conflict. We find ourselves between a rock and a hard place, trying to work out who should be going where and when, trying to make sure certain personalities don’t cross paths.
Christmas is going to be very different this year for many people. Some will not be allowed to visit each other due to COVID-19 restrictions and others may chose not to have a family Christmas any way to help protect their families. In many ways this year, families will be more separated than ever before.
Photo by Jill Wellington from Pexels
The hope will be that, this separation, forced or otherwise will provide some space for people struggling to maintain healthy family ties. That in turn, will help resolve any misunderstandings or help heal wounds of long past transgressions. I also hope that space will give any one struggling through the loss of a loved one time to grieve. Something we all need to do at times.
We know this isn’t going to be the perfect Christmas. So instead let’s take time to resolve what really matters. Video call your relatives to show them how much you mean to them. You don’t have to say those words if it scares you. Just calling will mean the world to who ever it is. If it’s a new beginning with a long-lost family member then as tough as it is you took the first step towards healing.
“Sinning by Silence” is a phrase that is not used enough. You might be scared of saying something, but it’s no possible to say the perfect words in every situation. Even if you don’t hit the spot with your attempt people appreciate you trying. A kind note in a special Christmas card could be the one thing that makes some one’s festive holiday a memorable time.
Make this the year that you tell some one you love them. If it’s a parent, a child, maybe you feel distance between your wife, husband or long-term partner, just say you’re the best. Seeing a look of cheer and renewed spirits in some one’s eyes is worth more than any present you could buy. Not that I’m suggesting you don’t buy presents. That could cause a whole new family rift!
Thank you to @Jasonhorton69 for taking the time to write this post, I really hope you all enjoyed the read. Be sure to check out jason’s work and i will see you tomorrow with my next blogmas post!
