HOLIDAY EMOTIONS
The holidays are always a time for reflection, and the older I get, the more there is to reflect upon. A surge of emotions arises when I think back on past Christmases, moments spent with family and friends—many of whom have passed, while others are facing significant challenges. I reminisce about better times when the world didn't feel so chaotic and unkind.
This evening, I decided that I had a choice regarding where to focus my attention and direct my thoughts and the emotions that accompany them during the remaining days of this holiday season.
I asked myself (and my body): "What fills my heart? What gives me hope? What thoughts and feelings make me feel happy, loved, watched over, and protected—like all is right in MY world?"
One word came to mind: GRACE I love this word.
The Greek term for grace is "charis," which means reward: "non-meritorious or unearned favor; an unearned gift; a favor or blessing bestowed as a gift, freely and never as a merit for work performed."
It's amazing how one's life can change in an instant when surrendering to a Higher Power, God, the Force, or the Source. For me, this feeling brings in humility, faith, and gratitude. It fills me up and shifts me from sadness or longing to hope and happiness.
During the holidays, I’m embracing this concept, transforming my feelings from sadness to a sense of grace.
So far, it's working! When I look back, when I reflect, I can feel sadness, but then I move to the feeling of grace, and I'm facing forward with the hope and faith that MY world can be filled with remarkable and surprising connections to others and plenty of humor and joy. YAY!
HERE’S TO AMERRIER CHRISTMAS / HAPPIER HOLIDAYS FOR YOU!