The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, or Not?

🎶 It's the most wonderful time of the year 🎶 Or is it?

Yes, we are well into December; the stores have been decorated and selling Christmas stuff since September, if not sooner. Christmas movies have been playing for months, and one radio station started with 24/7 Christmas tunes in October. OCTOBER!?!?!

When I was a kid, I never understood why some people seemed to hate Christmas. It never occurred to me until many years later, that feelings of loss and grief are stronger at times when families normally come together. And then there is the whole commercial side of Christmas, and the pressure and guilt people may feel if they cannot afford the latest and greatest toy of the year for their child.

Remember, YOU get to decide what makes YOU happy for the holidays, or any day for that matter. Social media presents a perfect, yet sometimes unrealistic, picture of family and friends having fun doing festive photo shoots with matching PJ’s and all that. Some of it is genuine, but some of it is staged, too. And happy families all over your wall when you are alone can be depressing, especially if it’s the first holiday after a divorce or death, or if you’re alone for any other reason. Don’t feel guilty or bad about it; there is no time limit on grief. But I will say that the first year of holidays and birthdays are the worst; this really hit home for me after my father passed in 2009.

And what about the last two years? Things have been pretty tough, so that also can make it hard to feel festive if you’re dealing with things like illness, financial hardship, job loss, or other stresses.

If you find your family traditions too painful, or not possible due to a change in circumstances, why not start a new tradition or two? That may help you feel in control and work through your challenges. But don’t pretend that your loss does not exist; instead, talk about what you enjoyed about the holidays with your loved ones in the past.

My father was impossible to shop for, both for his birthday and Christmas. He either already had it, or knew where you could get it cheaper. After he had heart surgery and was on blood thinners, he was always cold so I bought him a heated throw blanket for Christmas. And he LOVED it! He even called me a couple weeks after Christmas saying how much he loved it. This memory still makes me smile!

One of the things I love about aromatherapy and essential oils is that they can change our mood in minutes, just by inhaling their aroma. Some oils that may help with feelings of depression and grief are Bergamot, Clary Sage, Jade Lemon, Juniper, Lavender, Melissa, Orange, Palo Santo, Roman Chamomile, or Rose.

Add a few drops of one or more of these to a cold-water diffuser, like this Aria diffuser shown here, and diffuse for a few hours, or mix a couple of your favorites in a roller bottle with some carrier oil and apply to your wrists and neck a few times a day.

I wish you all a merry Christmas, and a healthy and happy New Year!!

P.S. Need high-quality oils? I trust Young Living (and their Seed to Seal Quality Commitment) to provide high-quality essential oils, because oils from the bargain bin at the dollar store just don’t have any therapeutic qualities. To shop for Young Living oils and diffusers, please use my referral code #10028291 and link www.youngliving.com/us/en/referral/10028291