Post-christmas blues
Christmas has come and gone. It is Boxing Day today and it will be another full year before we get back to the christmassy madness. Every year, it is a ritual that doesn't seem to change and the only thing that does is that every year we get a little older than what we were before. And this brings me to the point where the 'blues' comes in.
In my opinion, more than anything else, it is christmas that provides a definitive yardstick for our own assessment of, whether or not, we've actually grown up.
Depending upon the kind of childhood we had -- whether it was happy or traumatic, we wish for a better Christmas for a number of reasons. We want to connect to the innocence and gleeful past or we would like to enjoy THAT innocence which we never experienced. Both ways, christmas represents an idea of happiness, a feeling of family-spirit and a desire for a closer interaction with the rest of humanity.
And in a way, it is good that people feel this way about christmas because in their efforts to grab a morsel of happiness they make an extra effort to be amiable and kind and pleasant. And that, in turn, spreads a spirit of cheerfulness and giving all around.
But I find it highly ironical that though all of us make all these preparations to have an enjoyable and fun-filled christmas, the Christ child was born in a dirty manger quite unfit for royalty. So what does that mean? And how should we respond?
I suppose, the first step would be to remember the lonely, the desperate, the depressed, the marginalised, the tearful people amongst our community. And who might they be? You'd be surprised to know that they could, very well, be the ones you see every day wearing a broad smile all the time.
Does that remind you of your neighbour or office mate? If so, there is something you can do about it and while you do... a Merry Christmas and a meaningful new year to you all.
In my opinion, more than anything else, it is christmas that provides a definitive yardstick for our own assessment of, whether or not, we've actually grown up.
Depending upon the kind of childhood we had -- whether it was happy or traumatic, we wish for a better Christmas for a number of reasons. We want to connect to the innocence and gleeful past or we would like to enjoy THAT innocence which we never experienced. Both ways, christmas represents an idea of happiness, a feeling of family-spirit and a desire for a closer interaction with the rest of humanity.
And in a way, it is good that people feel this way about christmas because in their efforts to grab a morsel of happiness they make an extra effort to be amiable and kind and pleasant. And that, in turn, spreads a spirit of cheerfulness and giving all around.
But I find it highly ironical that though all of us make all these preparations to have an enjoyable and fun-filled christmas, the Christ child was born in a dirty manger quite unfit for royalty. So what does that mean? And how should we respond?
I suppose, the first step would be to remember the lonely, the desperate, the depressed, the marginalised, the tearful people amongst our community. And who might they be? You'd be surprised to know that they could, very well, be the ones you see every day wearing a broad smile all the time.
Does that remind you of your neighbour or office mate? If so, there is something you can do about it and while you do... a Merry Christmas and a meaningful new year to you all.
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