Christmas time is the happiest time of the year. Beautiful decorations light up the streets while jolly music plays everywhere you go. It’s also one of the busiest times of the year. People are buying and wrapping gifts, going to holiday parties, baking sweets, and mailing Christmas cards to loved ones they may not see over the holiday making for a busy schedule. It’s might be viewed as a busy and happy time of year, but not for all.
Regardless of the happy holiday season, there are people still going through difficult times. Some families may have a loved one who is hospital bound. There are some who may have recently lost a loved one and have to face the holidays without him or her there. And some may even be given bad news about a relative. This is what happened to my family.
When I was 15, my family tried to get my uncle from North Carolina to come visit for Christmas. He said he would try, but he had to work a shift at the hospital. He called us a few days before Christmas to talk. That was the last time we would hear his voice.
Christmas Eve finally came and my mom’s whole family came over to celebrate. After dinner, we received a phone call; my uncle had passed away. He had been fighting depression and chose to end his own life. For those with depression, the holidays can be a time where while the rest of the world seems happy, they feel lonely and hopeless. Despite our efforts to get him to come home for Christmas, the holiday season was just too much for him to bear.
He was my dad’s brother, but having my mom’s whole family there to comfort us meant a lot. It’s been six years and we still miss him each Christmas. That Christmas was a really awful time for my family. Christmas, although a happy time, is not happy for all. If you recently lost a loved one and this is your first Christmas without him or her, you are not alone. If you’re still missing a loved one who passed away some time ago, you are not alone. If you have a relative fighting an illness at this time of year, you are not alone. The best thing we can do is reflect on the happy memories we have of those that left us, and continue to make happy memories with the people we love each day.