Living life alone is hard enough, but being without a spouse, family, or friends during a season that fosters love and relationships is even harder. There are ways to cope, but I'd suggest that the most significant, lasting way to enjoy and look forward to Christmas is to appreciate the spiritual reason for the season. For those that don't understand or have been misguided by our secular culture, allow me to share a Christian perspective that you're free to ignore or embrace. Contrary to evolution teaching, the laws of science dictate that the universe and all life as we know it must have been created by a supernatural being of some sort. That supernatural being is best described as the God of the Bible, based upon evidence of its Divine authority unlike any other written document in world history. The Bible reveals that God created the universe and all life in it for his glory and pleasure, with a purpose of us knowing and loving him perfectly. People have always failed in this relationship, but God foreknew our sinful nature and from the very beginning revealed a plan of redemption to restore our relationship with him. Over 100 prophesies of God's incarnation can be found in the Bible's Old Testament scriptures. Long before Jesus arrived on the scene, the details of his birth, death, and resurrection were known and anxiously anticipated. The Gospel message of saving grace and reconciliation with God through Jesus Christ is the most significant, amazing, glorious event in human history. Nothing in all of this life compares to the impact that Christ's birth has had on the nations of the world and the billions of souls that will be saved by his act of Divine love, sacrifice, and redemptive work on the cross. When a person sets aside their pride, unwillingness to submit, or selfish disinterest enough to recognize their fallen position before a Holy God that governs the universe; when they consider the fate of their eternal souls facing judgement before God, based not on their good or bad works, but upon their relationship with Jesus; then the birth of Jesus as our personal Savior becomes a paramount occasion worth celebrating. If Christmas makes you feel lonely or depressed, it's because you're focused on the short term, temporary worries or deficiencies of this world - your feelings and circumstances - rather than the big picture and your place in the eternal world and life to come. Of course it's nice sharing the moment with others, so go to church Christmas Eve, call or write everyone you know, reach out to those in need some how. But no matter whether you're alone or not, the spirit of Christmas, celebrating Christ's birth as the world's Savior, is yours for the offering to accept into your heart or not. For those that do, it's a joyful time of year that should surpass any situational feelings. Maybe it'd do you well to listen to this song - and believe it. If you like the song, there's a better movie exerpt video on YouTube that won't copy.
I don't know. There has always been something infectious this time of year where people are generally in a better mood and nicer to each other. I will say that when I wish someone (retail folks) a Merry Christmas this year, it's as though I'm the first one they've heard it from. That concerns me.
Right before I retired, it was preferred to say Happy Holidays versus Merry Christmas in my retail job. Of course I bucked that idea also.
When I was single/divorced for 21 years, Christmas really didn't mean much to me and it didn't bother me much not thinking about it. I bought my own Christmas presents. IOW, things that I wanted. No decorating. During those years, I celebrated all of the holidays, as in Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas, the same way.........doing nothing. After I met my wife, that all definitely changed and I was very glad of that. It was nice to spend Christmas with my wife's family, but after we left So. California, in 2002, that ended. But, us being here, Colorado, North Carolina, Florida and then back to Colorado, and them being in So. California, just didn't bother us.
We are going to my nieces house today for a lasagna dinner. My brother in his dementia state, took it upon himself to invite people over to his daughters house for lunch. Luckily we all agreed to meet, as come this time next year he may not remember some of us. Sigh . It is of course the coldest day yet here ..maybe reach 40ish later today. Staying home and toasty appeals to me better. But will go with joy in my heart that we still can do this.
If indeed someone doesn’t have anything else on their schedule, it’s not too late to get your name in the hat at a rescue mission to help serve lunch or dinner on Christmas day….or before or after. Folks who volunteer at rescue missions always walk out with more joy than they walked in with. It’s just the way it is.
I spent 7 years doing free repairs in people's homes (I think I worked in 40 homes or so.) I agree 100%. You always get ore than you give...and that includes a whole bunch of gratitude.
To take @Joseph Carl’s post just a tad further, Christmas is a day. One singular day that many prepare for by buying gifts, decorating a tree, hanging lights, preparing for a feast and all the things tagged as the events which happen during the Christmas season. Glitz, glitter, music, poetry, wrapping paper, tape and smiles. It is indeed a special time. But at the end of the day, it’s in preparation for just one day. One day of joy. One day of family. One day. The thing that is so sadly missed is that yes, we are celebrating the birth of Jesus, soon to be known as the Christ but why is that joy, that happiness of such a wonderful event forgotten throughout the rest of the year? Perhaps, on such a momentous day, the greatest gift we can give is one we can give ourselves which is to examine our own hearts to find out how much the birth of such a one as the Christ has meant in our own lives, The angel told the Shepherds, “unto YOU a child is born”. The angel didn’t tell some government official, a king or queen but the most lowly of all; shepherds. I take that to mean ….me. Unto ME a child was born on that most holy day. Unto me, God gave a gift for which I have nothing to give in return except my heart but that’s all He wants and it would seem to receive yet another gift. The joy that surpasses all understanding for not just a single day, but for a lifetime and an eternity.