It’s Okay to Cry on Christmas
Happy holidays.
Merry Christmas.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year.
While there is a lot of stress associated with Christmas–with all the shopping and outings–it is a time of the year I always enjoy, especially while we still have children at home young enough to be totally into Christmas.
For some, though, Christmas isn’t easy. They may enjoy the day, and get to see family, and take part in all sorts of traditions, but, at some point during the day, they may shed tears. And I’m writing today’s article to say that it’s quite okay to cry on Christmas.
To me, Christmas is all about memories. We make memories each year, and we have memories of those past years. And with all the hurry and hustle, sometimes our emotions overflow as we think back to something that’s just not there this year.
Maybe you’ve lost a loved one since last Christmas, and this will be your first holiday without that special person.
Maybe you’ve gone through a very difficult year and Christmas may not have all the trappings it did just a year ago.
Maybe you are still going through a time of illness and just aren’t feeling up to all the excitement you so much love about this time of year.
Or maybe it’s a memory from longer ago; just someone that you used to spend Christmas with, but who hasn’t been there for a long time. Still, the memory lingers each time you eat that special meal, or sit down to open gifts, or just stare at the tree for a few minutes.
I know people who try to hold in emotions, especially on holidays, because they think it “brings down the mood” of everyone else. They feel as if they are ruining everyone’s Christmas because they shed some tears or just need to be alone for a little while to collect themselves.
Let me assure you today: you aren’t ruining anyone’s Christmas by shedding some tears. In fact, you may be helping others, who also need to release some emotion this time of year and who feel that you have given them permission to also express those emotions.
If Christmas is about memories, then share them all. If some tears are shed as you tell stories or open a very special gift, there is no shame in that whatsoever. You never know: those tears may become not only cathartic; they may just become a special reminder of just how special this time of year really is.
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AUTHOR: Adam Faughn
