Holiday Revelations

The New Year is just over an hour and a half away, and as I was getting ready to go out, I realized something about holidays. Many people seem to love every holiday, while just as many probably wished they never existed. How is it that the same days could have such opposite reactions. And why is it that though I love holidays, I have not felt very positive about them the last few years? My thought is that holidays amplify feelings within us. Often times, the power of these days will bring out things that for the majority of our lived are hidden. The grumpy old man can be warm and loving to his grandchildren, while the perfect mom can scream at people in the store aisles.

These extremes that we see in the holidays are the reason there are such mixed reactions. A hungry family feels all the more out of place during Thanksgiving feasts. The broken heart feels trampled on Valentine's Day. Families come together with warmth and love. Holidays force us to act, or feel as though we have to act in a certain way, and they accentuate aspects of our personalities and our lives. The problem is that sometimes they can do so to the damage of others. The mom I mentioned may be attempting to bring happiness to her family, and her frustration mounts because for whatever reason she feels that she is unable to. When love is in the air, those who are alone feel it all to keenly. When families gather together, those that are broken show so much more. When everyone else is celebrating, how does the man feel who has nothing to celebrate?

I think that on some level, we understand this basic truth about holidays. We know they in many ways amplify things, and sometimes we try and avoid these circumstances. The kid without parents may try and surround himself with his friends. The girl who lost her boyfriend may immerse herself in romantic comedies. Our defenses can be quite effective when they kick in, and I think that maybe knowing what effect that the holidays have on us could help make them more positive, but who knows. This is my first night for the "test." For your information, my amplification was disappointment and loneliness, but I am going out anyway with Brock and Randy and we will see how things go!