christmasandjoy

I’m standing in the aisle at our local Calendar Club staring at the abyss of adult games, desperately searching for joy in the Christmas of 2020.

You see, every year at this time, I love to find a new game for our family. Life quiets down, kids are home from university and extra curricular activities take a well deserved break. Christmas is the perfect time to get in that “family time” we always talk about, and play a game, or do a puzzle.

This year though, the thought of suggesting we play another game or “hey kids, let’s do a puzzle,” fills me with such dread, I turn on my heel and walk straight out of the store.

“Ok lady, I say to myself, “you’ve got to get your shit together and find some joy in the Christmas of 2020.”

Anyone else with me?

Don’t get me wrong – I am grateful for a lot of things right now – I’m just struggling a little with joy.

I am grateful we have employment, a home, our health (fingers crossed) and ways to connect via technology with people we love – although – if someone suggests another Zoom, I might have to punch them in the face. 🙂

I’m not totally devoid of happiness – nor do I feel depressed, but I do feel the peaks and valleys of my emotions like never before. I also feel a certain anger that bubbles just below the surface. At times, I tear out of the house looking for a break, knowing if I hear the words “social distancing” once more, I might scream.

But I digress…

In our house, we light the advent wreath – four candles signifying HOPE, PEACE, LOVE and JOY – each one lit in the four weeks approaching Christmas. And while in previous years, these candles were lit more with a nod to tradition – this year HOPE, PEACE, LOVE and JOY seem to take on a new meaning.

We’ve all had to come up with things that give us HOPE, that bring us PEACE, that show LOVE and that have helped us feel JOY at our family table.

With it being just a few days from Christmas, I thought I would share with you some of the things we’ve come up with in our family, while we are searching for Joy in the Christmas of 2020.

I feel JOY when I see all the extra Christmas lights people have put on their houses this year.

I feel HOPE when I see that doctors are getting vaccinated.

I feel JOY when I see a family out for a walk together.

I feel PEACE when I know we are all together under one roof.

I feel JOY that I can find a parking spot at the mall one week before Christmas!

I feel HOPE when I see the city supporting local business.

I feel LOVE when I see our family laughing together.

I feel JOY when I see people skating outside in a local park and Christmas carols being played.

I feel HOPE when I see a company pivot to adjust to restrictions and be successful.

While this list is certainly not exhaustive it sure beats going down the rabbit hole of despair, doesn’t it? I know that choosing joy in a pandemic is a little like choosing love in the middle of a fight with your partner. The question always is – do you want to be RIGHT, or do you want to be HAPPY?

This Christmas there are many reasons to NOT be joyful. This pretty much sucks, and let me tell you – I can come up with plenty of reasons to support that statement too. We really have to consciously be searching for joy in the Christmas of 2020. We have to wake up every morning, and figure out how we are going to either find joy, or bring joy each day.

In what is most likely our last blog post for 2020, all we are wishing for you this holiday season is a little JOY, unconditional LOVE, PEACE, and an abundance of HOPE. Because remember… after the last pandemic came the ROARING ’20’s and in my mind the next decade has us strewn in sequins and dancing like fools.