It’s the Most Bittersweet Time of the Year

The profound lesson hiding within your Christmas nostalgia.

Photo by Rodion Kutsaev on Unsplash

Christmas is one of the few traditions we have in the West. Each year, schools close, parents take time off, if they can, and families spend the holidays eating good food, giving gifts, and enjoying each other’s company. It’s my favorite time of year, even though it tends to be frigid here in Canada.

But, amidst the joy and excitement of Christmas, there’s something dark and gloomy, isn’t there? Not something bad, per se, but something tugging at your heart, pulling it down toward the pit of your stomach.

One Christmas carol captures this feeling perfectly — Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. A part of the song goes like this:

Here we are as in olden days / Happy golden days of yore / Faithful friends who are dear to us / Gather near to us once more.

Through the years / We’ll always be together / If the Fates allow / Hang a shining star upon the highest bough.

What do these lyrics cause you to feel? Do they make you reflect nostalgically on Christmases past, like when your parents or…