This makes me incredibly sad. I was blessed to grow up in a high functioning home with many holiday traditions championed by my grandparents. As a kid, it seemed unfathomable to be depressed around Christmas. But as I got older and met people like my friend who's parents past away at a young age, I learned that the holidays are the time of year when old wounds surface most.
I wish there were a formula I could post or a recipe for wellness I could pass on to my friends that are hurting in this season. It breaks my heart to know you're missing a loved one who passed away this year, or feeling the sting of loneliness upon being separated from a spouse or a long time friend, or experiencing the crushing weight of failure in some aspect of your life. It's going to have to be enough to write that you are all in our thoughts and we wish you a fullness and wholeness unmatched by previous holiday seasons. From all of us at Chain Letter Collective, happy holidays. We love you. We'll see you on the other side.
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i'm with you, Ben. thanks for posting this... an important reminder for sure.
ReplyDeletethanks so much for this ben. i'm just catching up on your posts from the past month. this one means a great deal to me. i love christmas, always have because it was the best time of year for me as a kid, a kid who def. had some fucked up times growing up. this year i was very much affected by the inevitable ability to get really depressed during the 'best time of the year'. all the things that make it that, are just the things that make it depressing when you are going through a huge loss. thanks again for your heartfelt thoughts. xo
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