It’s that time again. The holidays are upon us. We are bein
g bombarded with commercials to buy new cars, perfume, alcohol, the list goes on. Advertisers are also guilty of showing happy families sitting down for the holiday meal, each nicely dressed and chatting politely. You can almost smell the heavenly food as they politely pass around each dish. I have lived through 57 Thanksgivings and Christmases. Through the years I have spent them with my immediate family, friend’s family, boyfriend’s family, husband’s family, my sister’s family, total strangers on a cruise ship, and completely alone. As we age, the families grow and begin to divide. For those who never had children, holidays become more difficult once our parents pass on and other family members move away or become more distant. Lively neighborhoods bustle with the sounds of family and friends gathering across the street for the celebration we long for with our loved ones.
It has been a myth that suicide rates tend to increase during the holiday season. Yet, according to the National Institute of Health, Christmas is the time of year that people experience a high incidence of depression. High expectations, money woes, and other holiday hazards can spell trouble for those prone to depression. every where you turn, you’re being told how much you should be enjoying this time of year. You know you should be happy and having fun, but it just isn’t happening.
I remember the first Christmas after my mother had passed away. I was only 24 years old, single and no children. I had an older sister that had three boys living in the same town. That fall, I enrolled in a college class that dealt with holiday depression. I knew it was going to be difficult so I was trying to be pro-active in planning. One of the many things suggested was to plan a vacation. Go some place different. Being as how I lived in the pacific northwest, Christmas season was always cold, wet and dreary. I opted for a cruise to the Bahamas. I worked a second job for eight months just so I could pay for it. I had a wonderful time. It didn’t feel like Christmas day as I laid on the warm white sand with the sound of the ocean and gulls flying above. For four days I was able to escape the traditional holiday and enjoy my first Christmas without family and minimal depression.
As a Christian and an older adult, Christmas means something totally different to me than it once did. I no longer get caught up with all the reckless spending. My husband and I usually splurge and go to a nice restaurant for dinner and then enjoy a quiet evening watching holiday movies. We appreciate the fact we don’t have to deal with family bickering and their Olympics, annoying discussions and tired, unruly children. We celebrate the birth of our Lord and give thanks to Him. What is truly delightful is that when January rolls around, our budget still looks the same as the month before.
I wasn’t always a follower of Jesus Christ. In fact, I only identified as a Christian growing up in the same way you identify as an American. When I hit my 20’s, my mother passed away. That was when I turned away from God, Christianity and Jesus. I just didn’t understand why God would take my mother from me when He had taken my father only a year after my birth. I decided that religions were for weak people that needed a crutch to get through the day. Growing up in Oregon, a very secular state, I found my lack of belief was part of the majority. many years later, my older sister introduced me to Ernest Holmes teaching of the new age religion, Science of Mind. I liked that church because it didn’t have any rules. I wasn’t being told I was a sinner and I was going to hell if I didn’t believe in Jesus. Another decade went by and I met my now husband who was a Christian. He never pushed me or tried to convert me. We would often have deep conversations where he would just “plant the seeds” and make me curious about Christianity. I have to admit, I really didn’t know all that much about it. I tried reading the bible, but it never made sense and it just seemed too, “Out There.” I had grown into an adult who enjoyed research and cross referencing information. It wasn’t until I went to see The Passion of The Christ that my life was changed forever. That was my turning point. That was when I began trying to prove to myself that Christ was our savior. I wanted to know everything there was to know about Jesus and answer those questions most people ask when they truly don’t want to accept Christianity.