Putting the Holiday Blues to Rest

News reports each year come out about how to beat the holiday blues. It seems that every year, there are more deaths, sadness, and that overwhelming feeling of aloneness that strikes many.

It's not something that happens suddenly because it's winter but often because it's been on the mind of the individual that it is affected. Perhaps they have experienced tremendous loss in their life and they are looking for a way to recover from it.

When loneliness strikes, it's hard to hide it for a long time. You find yourself looking for a reason to make connections, go out, take a walk, maybe even throw a party.

You find that you want to do this more often during the holidays because you start thinking about how much you miss a loved one that passed, or perhaps you have lost a friend.

The holiday blues are more than feeling sad, because this year so many are left without work, a loss of income or even a loss of public assistance that they had been receiving. There were thousands on unemployment that finally dropped off of the payroll, and now they are left without feeling as though they can provide for their families.

Kids go without Christmas gifts, they cannot feed their children, and all they can feel is despair. It seems other family members are doing just great, but somehow they cannot seem to make it work. Then, there is another piece to this puzzle.

There are families that live on a stringent budget, and now they battle holiday blues because of the commercialization of Christmas. They start to feel the pressure of not "being enough", or the inability to "not spend enough". Although they have shopped and have the ability to do so, it's all about how much they can buy and how big the gift is to those they spend time with.

It makes it tough when you are surrounded by even one of these issues, let alone two of them. Unless people have been through it, it's hard for them to understand how you feel. Where are you at with the "holiday blues"? Are things going pretty well? Do you have it in you to step up and share your heart with others?

If you are employed and enjoying your family this year, remember those who are not. It is not always true that people "live off of the system", or that they "don't work hard enough". In fact, now more than ever, there are so many that have fallen on hard times. How has God blessed you?

If He has blessed you, why not make it a point to bless others. If you know someone that is struggling with the holiday blues, reach out and share your love with them this season. Live courageously!