Maybe you can relate – December rolls around and there is an underlying feeling of sadness hits. You may not even realize it at first. It creeps up on you and before you know it you are angry or in a fog.
If you can relate you are not alone.
Many of us experience this. For me, the holidays are a reminder of loss. It isn’t that I don’t have joy. I do. It isn’t that I don’t enjoy myself. I do. But underneath it all is an emotional disconnect – it is the temptation to withdraw or to try to not feel.
Some try to cope with this in unhealthy ways. I encourage you to talk to someone about this. Tell the story of a loved one’s passing. Do something in their honor. Bring a smile to another person’s face in honor of your loved one.
I want you to know this is normal. You aren’t weird. You aren’t crazy. But you might need to seek help. If these feelings affect your work and or relationships and if they persist beyond the holidays please go seek professional help.
I tell people who come for pastoral counseling how brave I think they are – that they are not weak but that they are strong. Some people feel weak to not be able to solve their own issues. But there is strength in admitting that and seeking help.
Here are a few more thoughts on this and some of my story of dealing with grief at this time of year.
