Sometimes The Holidays Suck. That’s Ok

Life comes in seasons. Some years are wonderful with few worries and plenty of everything. Others are leaner, more troublesome, and just plain sad. In the good years, the holidays are a lot of fun, but during the sad times, we may not enjoy the holiday season all that much, and that’s ok.  

There’s a lot of pressure put on us by media and society alike to put on a smile and be “merry and bright” during the holidays. We’re magically supposed to be in a good mood on Christmas no matter what’s going on in our lives or around us. Yes, you should hide your pain and sorrow and smile through the tears for your kids. Of course, you don’t want to ruin the holidays for those around you. But let’s face it, sometimes life sucks and when it happens around the holidays, it’s hard to put on a show of good cheer.  

There’s nothing wrong with being sad around the holidays. If you’ve recently lost a loved one and are facing your first holiday season without them, it’s perfectly normal and healthy to be sad. You miss them, and not being able to share such a wonderful time of the year with this special person makes it harder to feel joy and happiness. When something does put a smile on your face, you may even feel guilty.  

Maybe you lost your job a few weeks ago and can’t give your kids the gifts they’ve been asking Santa for. Maybe a relationship fell apart and you’re still trying to figure out what your life looks like now. Lots of different things can happen that will take a lot of the joy out of the holidays. And that’s ok.  

Despite the picture TV shows, movies, and holiday stories paint, our troubles don’t magically go away come Christmas Eve. We are still grieving, broken, and feeling lost. And that’s ok. Life isn’t always perfect. It’s messy, complicated, sad, and sometimes just plain sucks – even during the holidays.  

My best advice when you’re having a tough time during the holidays is this. Don’t feel pressured to put yourself in a good mood. Don’t expect to feel better all of a sudden. Get through the Holidays the best you can. Do what you need to do for the little ones, and then go and have a good cry. Be mad, be sad, or be angry. Feel what you need to feel to get through this hard period in life.  

But also remember this. Things will look up and there are many happy days and happy holidays ahead. Remember the good times and know in your heart that better times are yet to come.  

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