Change the Lighting

Christmas is such an emotionally-charged season. Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems as if no one ever really coasts through the holidays without some sort of an emotional overload. It's never just "fa-la-la-la-la." It's more like, "somebody-hold-my-head-under-the-eggnog-until-I-drown."

Why?

I have a theory. Christmas is a time where togetherness happens, but for most people, there are pieces of life missing from the picture. Whether it's through a death of a loved one, a divorce, or even just stress within familial relationships, the togetherness of Christmas tends to highlight the gaps in our lives the way florescent lighting in changing rooms highlights our wobbly bits. And it's not pretty.

What do we do about it? Stand in the water-filled tree stand and chew on the electrical cord? Not a bad idea. But because my birthday is right after Christmas and I want to live long enough to get my free birthday drink from Starbucks, I'd opt for a different solution. What works for me is to focus on the puzzle pieces that are in my picture rather than the ones that are missing. By treasuring them, focusing on the colours and shapes and wonders of them all, I may even lose sight of the gaps and maybe, just maybe, I'll find that they all fit into each other to make an even more beautiful picture. That's the kind of gift I have at the top of my wish list this year. Cash is good, too. And new boobs, please. Thanks.