12/23/2023
Christmas isn’t always easy, in fact sometimes it’s hard.
A few years ago, I noticed my most expensive gift was from my boss. I was immensely grateful for it but it reminded me of my own personal Achilles heel.
You see, it wasn’t so much the monetary value of the gift, it was what it reminded me of.
Loss.
In truth I felt sorrow for not having a partner, parents, siblings nor children to buy me a ‘big’ present. Or not buy one, if we couldn’t afford it.
So, I determined that if a ‘main’ present from a significant loved one was THAT important to me, then I’d damn well buy it myself.
It helped!
But the thing that helped the most was that I didn’t judge my thoughts and feelings.
I had felt lost and alone; I yearned for my parents, who had died many years before. But I accepted and allowed ALL of those messy, uncomfortable and painful emotions.
I didn’t ignore how I felt nor what I thought. I didn’t tell myself to stop feeling sorry for myself. I didn’t feel shame for feeling that way.
I simply accepted that that was how I felt.
And that’s my message to you this Christmas season.
No matter how you think or feel, please don’t judge yourself or your emotions.
Please don’t determine how you think you ‘should’ feel and then berate yourself for not feeling that way.
Christmas can be bloody hard sometimes, please be gentle with you.
