Commercials showing happy couples may be enjoyable to most, but to some those ads sting. TV or movie scenes of people coming home to appreciative family and friends can warm the heart, unless you don't have that in your particular life. The classic cliché of kissing a loved one at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve is sweet, unless you don't have that special someone who'll let you kiss 'em.
For those who are lonely throughout the year, this season only sharpens the pain. What to do about it? Here are a few suggestions for your consideration:
First, God loves you, regardless of who you are or what you've done. That's not the same as His being your vending machine (which is a great topic for another time).
Second, you already have permission to love yourself. That's not to say you have clearance to do self-destructive things for your enjoyment. For example, I love to eat. If I eat a large pizza each day as part of "loving myself", that ain't love.
Third, I'd suspect each of us has something we like to do that is uplifting, that clears our heads, that has a positive effect in our lives. For me, getting outside in fresh air always clears my head. Going for a long drive can be exhilarating as well.
In any event, making active choices can lift one from those holiday doldrums. That act of choosing an uplifting opportunity doesn't depend on anyone else being around. Yep, you can choose a different path.
How do I know all this to be effective and true? Let's "ask" the late Levi Stubbs...
No comments:
Post a Comment