It has begun.  The holiday music is readily heard.  Decorations along streets, corporate, civic and private are manifesting and growing in numbers.   The newspapers are burgeoning with all kinds of sale, sale, sale!

It is one of the hardest times of the year to get into the season if you are so far from  feeling it that a sense of separation and disconnect infuses your response. 

Feel grateful?  Not on your life!

Bell ringers—bah humbug!  Charity begins at home.

Celebration is family—not mine! All we do is fight!

Thinking about others—Not a chance—I take care of myself!

This can be a challenging time.  Some folks try to dull it by using drugs and alcohol to dim the noise.    Some become anti-social and irritable.   Some folks really suffer emotional pain during this season.

If you are considering harming yourself, please seek out help!  It gets better!  Please call 1-800-273-8255.  This is the Suicide Prevention number.  There is always someone there to talk with you.  You matter and it really does get better—just call!

What follows are some ways to make the holiday time a bit easier to bear.

--in your personal space, listen to music or programming that you like.  You can change the tune in your own space.

--Decorate or not!  A single piece can make all the difference to bring in the season.

--Make it your celebration, celebrate the solstice, the lengthening days, Celebrate the longest night!, Celebrate with one other, a family group or a neighbor who is alone just like you.  Make it a meal shared, a tree shared, a walk in a quiet forest, use your imagination and find some way to express your celebration that is not your usual default pattern and choices.  Do something out of the ordinary that is meaningful for your experience.

--meditate—it will provide you a sense of peace in your perceived chaos.  Find yourself a place where you will not be disturbed for at least 30 minutes (you deserve that much!). Loosen binding clothing, let yourself relax. Then begin to breath, breath to your toes, your arch, your heal, your ankle, each breath in and out as you envision your breath infusing that body part with relaxation.  Continue up your body, bit by bit and then breath and relax as you continue relaxing every body part.  Give yourself permission to go as deep as you can.  If your thoughts distract, just bring them back to your purpose.  Savor the peace and when you are ready, let yourself come back to consciousness.  Repeat often, repeat daily!

I wish you the blessings of the season however you choose to experience them!

                                    You matter!

In memory of Joseph Booth Shahan, died Sunday, 25 November 1979.

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