Dear Christmas,
Time honestly flies by. Years go by, time changes many things, but this time of year always makes sure to remember me about the important things and mostly also about the person that I want to be. It’s the most wonderful time for a reason, although that’s not necessarily the case for everyone. Some might celebrate Christmas and for others it is just a day like any other. Some might look forward to it, others dread it.
It is no secret, that I absolutely love everything Christmas. I love the cosiness the season brings, I love the smiles on people’s faces when they open their presents, I love the cheesy Christmas movies, I love the baking and sharing all the cookies, I love seeing children being in their element and living in this little magical world. Maybe I love it so much, because I like to show the people, I care about that I care about them and that I appreciate their presence in my life. Whatever it is, I try every year to make the best out of the season, to be positive and hopefully I spread some of that cheer.
However, there are two sides on a coin. Christmas isn’t always so fun for everyone. You might have to spend time with people you’d rather avoid or you have to be someone you are not while you are not yet in the position to make the decision to just not go. It might have been a particularly rough year, in whichever way possible and you just feel like you can’t handle the holidays.
But back to the beautiful things about Christmas, because everybody needs a little light in today’s world. I very much like to agree with the fact that Christmas is about the people you spend it with. But there is so much more to me. The dark days have never been my favourite, of course I like the cosiness the colder days bring, but that’s about it. To me it feels as if Christmas, quite literally, brings light into this said darkness. I love thinking about gifts to give to the people around me, thinking about what they might like, what will give them a little bit of joy. Cause after all, to me Christmas is way more about the gesture of giving than receiving. Giving in the spirit of giving without a thought of receiving.
I look up to the sky on Christmas eve and I’m reminded of how fortunate I feel, how I would’ve loved to spend a Christmas with people with whom I unfortunately never had the chance to share the joy with, whose spirit and heart I hopefully carry with me all through the year. Because in the end the real Christmas spirit might get a little push during this time of year, but you carry it with you in your heart all year around. So maybe see this as a little reminder, you can spread (Christmas) cheer and love every single day.
The spirit of Christmas is something I try to live every single day. Being there, giving back, listen when people need me to listen, giving them my shoulder if they need a place to let their tears flow and supporting them with the steps they want to take. The child in me comes around just a little bit more often during the holidays. For sure, Christmas is a different feeling now than it was as a child, but I don’t think it is less valuable.
For sure, I’m not perfect. Christmas is also a time of reflection and looking at yourself. But believe me, you don’t need to be perfect to make a difference.
Be seen by giving something back to society and people, no matter how small the gesture is, but stay humble in the process.
All my love,
Anna
Dear Anna,
I share the thoughts you described here.
And I also recognize what you wrote about it’s easier to give than to receive something…
I also do agree what you wrote about the “Christmas-feeling”.
You should not limit this to the end of a year. But you should radiate it every day!
Best Wishes,
Ed.