Grief Healing: The Promise of Christmas

Monday, December 21, 2015

The Promise of Christmas

Ready or not, Christmas will come. And friends, that is more promise than threat. ~ Peggy Haymes

In her beautiful Christmas message that came via email last week, our friend and colleague Peggy Haymes reminded us that, regardless of the losses we carry or the burdens we bear, the holidays still come, whether we feel ready to deal with them or not.

When we are in the midst of grief, we have hardly any interest in facing these days at all. We feel stressed because there is too much to do, with too little time, not enough money, and hardly enough energy to get out of bed in the morning. Everything seems draped in the darkness of sorrow and loss.

But Peggy gently suggests that a better approach is to focus instead on the real meaning of Christmas.

She writes,

Christmas isn't about what gets done or not done, bought or not bought. Christmas is the light that shines in the darkness and even our deepest darkness cannot overcome it. Christmas is the stubborn promise of peace in a world that stubbornly seeks war. Christmas is the reminder that magic is in our midst - if only we don't miss it in our anxious hurry.

So breathe. Take breath in and let it out.

Ready or not, Christmas will come. And friends, that is more promise than threat.

Dear readers, today and throughout the holiday season, my wish for all of us is to remember the promise of these special days:

the Spirit of Christmas, which is Peace ~

the Soul of Christmas, which is Hope ~

and the Heart of Christmas, which is Love. ♥

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