Holidays: Excitement And Stress

Holidays can be exciting – but they can also result in stress. Memories of our pasts can flood our hearts with mixed emotions and invade our minds with all kinds of thoughts. Though certain observances are dated events or landmarks of achievements and acknowledgments, they can still trigger experiences from yesterday – sometimes good ones and sometimes bad ones.

Birthdays. Anniversaries. Christmas. New Years. They can conjure up all kinds of flits and flutters. As we take time out to recognize and celebrate events that describe the customs and values of our social unit, culture, society, or country, sunshine as well as clouds can hover over our paths.

Most of us check our calendars, at least once a week, to plan activities for the next several days. These annual holidays or traditions contribute meaning to the hours, days, months, and years of our annual life cycles. They make a big statement about who we are and what we respect in life. Annual celebrations express our customs, beliefs, and all that is important to us.

Here is an example of a special observance. It is your birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! Well, maybe it’s a happy birthday for you, and maybe not. Social guests, your family and friends, gather around you at the big dining room table. They sing to you the sweet birthday song. Now you are in the lime light. Yes, you are special today. Oh, you smile, glow, and even tear up. Ummmm. Mixed feeling? The love reflected in your guests’ eyes charm you to pieces and pump you up with thanksgiving, BUT being "old" (to you), brings on feelings of agitation and apprehension.

Now, it is New Year’s Eve. Five minutes prior to midnight. You and your spouse are all dressed up. High-heels, tuxedo, best cologne and perfume. God has blessed both of you with many wonderful years of marriage. HOWEVER, this special date brings back the unpleasant memory of the death of a member of your family. Every New Year’s Eve, for the rest of your life, you will recall and feel your loss. It hurts. However, your neighbor gave birth to a healthy new born on December 31st. So to this couple, a big hip-hip-hooray to New Year’s Eve.

There can be a lot of pleasure involved in planning for an upcoming holiday. It increases your excitement, and allows you to savor the joy of the day more.

Holidays bring many meanings to our lives. I hope you find joy in some of your special days.

Go To Page: 1 2