I’m the holiday-type. It feels weird to need to say that, but I have met people who really do not welcome date-specific times of celebration. I enjoy an excuse to be merry and put up bright lights, but this year I am a bit at odds with Christmas. I find myself alone and living in an in-between town, squared center from where I was to where I am going, and that is not conducive to cheer. I’m doing my best though, I made a couple of people happy and that always warms me for a bit, but sometimes I just want to read a book or listen to music with people like me.
This post may come off a little bit Microwave Cooking for One, but there is a season for everything and everyone.
The Right Music
Joni Mitchell’s song, River, opens with a minor key contrast of Jingle Bells. Wouldn’t it be nice to get away from the loneliness of the season and skate down a river?
The Right Socks
Keeping warm during the holidays extends well beyond what you feel in your heart. Ground yourself with some special socks, even a single pair. Sometimes when we feel down, we forget to nurture ourselves, so give yourself this small act of kindness. If you want to take it a step further, you can also donate socks.
When I was starting out on my own, I used to go to a local dollar store and buy single packs of socks to give to people as I came and went from home. I had a friend who taught me the importance of giving and looking outward to make the inward better. If you can share a plate of food or just talk to someone who nobody else may be talking to, it can be mutually meaningful.
Light a Fire
I don’t own a fireplace and while the bitter parts of me could come up with ideas for fires, I am tamed by a desire to live unincarcerated. For me, this means putting my best foot forward. Don’t look down on the screen fire, be it on a phone or a TV. For myself, I am casting a fire from my phone to my television. It crackles and puts off light as my standing heater pushes hot air out in front of it. Is it silly? Definitely, but I endorse being silly every once in a while.
A lot of the videos out there seem lavish, homes with massive windows and candles lit everywhere, and I am not that kind of person. There is a fire out there for every type if you search. This one is mine.
Talk to Anyone
If you can do therapy, great. Therapy is a wonderful way to get through hard times and I think the world would be a better place if it were accessible to all. For myself, I have called, messaged, and written who I can. You never know what words may come back your way or how maybe you may have made someone else’s season better. I feel holding on to one another in whatever ways we can is a tent pole of humanity. Go wild, ask your next cashier how their day is going and listen instead of just waiting to talk.
Closing
These are just a few ideas that kicked around in my head this Christmas after they have helped me. I have no promises of what this blog will be later, but at its start it was always a way for me to put my thoughts somewhere else. There are no ads and the focus is a bit of a scattershot, but I like it this way. Maybe that is a holiday resolution as well?
Closing Holiday Resolution
Be authentic and try not to plan too much.