OK, look around and tell me what you see. The changing of the seasons for sure, day light is shorter with the evening hours arriving much earlier, the seasons in many parts of the country are already yelling “it’s cold and snowy outside,” the trees are beginning to lose their leaves, Halloween is an after-thought, Thanksgiving is fast approaching albeit a bit later in the month, there is a frenzy of activity in the stores anticipating the upcoming holidays with the shelves nearly empty already, and then there’s the advent of the 2020 New Year. I can clearly remember all too well leaping into the new millennium, the 21st Century—and now it’s 20 years later. Really?
If that’s not enough to get the old heart racing and cause pangs of dizziness, then not sure what is. With all that, it seems there’s at virtually every turn a slight-to-moderate-to-heavy amount of stress brought into our daily lives. As we get older, this stress can be difficult and sometimes insurmountable to deal with, and for many of us, we might not recognize it for what it is. We may internalize it, but as sometimes happens, it might slip out and manifest itself as anger, a short temper, scowling face, pinched eyebrows or what some call a frown (don’t they cause more wrinkles), irate hand gestures, outbursts…alright, enough of all this negative behavior characterization. That is not what this website is designed to communicate.
Be that as it may, yes, it’s “TIS THE SEASON TIME,” and if you haven’t figured it out by now, it happens each year at this time. Next up is Thanksgiving, our bona fide American tradition where family and friends congregate to give thanks and celebrate life. Turkeys, hams and pumpkin pies abound with all the trimmings.
Then the big ones arrive. The Christmas and Hanukkah Holiday celebrations are probably the most well-known, other notables are Saint Nicholas Day, Fiesta of Our Lady of Guadalupe, St Lucia Day, Three Kings Day and Kwanzaa are all symbolic of their respective heritage. They are adorned with all kinds of special occasions, practices, principles and memories. During this season, some of us will spend time with family, just with friends, travelling to other destinations, and some will spend their moments alone in a quiet, reflective time.
Wherever you find yourself this coming holiday, and whatever your religious affiliation, if any, just take a moment and give thanks. However, it’s really more than that.
Refrain from being unkind. It only demonstrates your intolerance of certain beliefs or opinions and the lack of valuation of other’s welfare and well-being.
When these moments of stress or negative traits are upon you, push them aside and engage in kindness. There is an ample supply everywhere on earth, so pass it around. Kindness is a way of life that transcends all those negative behavior traits and makes you a healthier and better person. Who doesn’t want that.
BoomerGal wishes you a kind and prosperous Holiday Season—so make the most of it and enjoy every moment and memory.
