Christmas Blues

We’re on our second (of four) –ber month people. Can you hear the bells jingling? Can you hear the fat, bearded man’s ho-ho-ho? Can you hear the carols playing?

Me? Sure. I can hear the ho’s bell jingling while playing with the fat bearded man.

This is me being bitter, I mean cynical.

For people like me, Christmas is deemed to be the most depressing time of the year along with Valentine’s Day (depending on one’s dating status). It’s during the yuletide season that we feel this pressure to be unusually joyful and nice. However, what with all the cheery Christmas songs filling the air, once in a while, one cannot help but give in to the infectious Holiday spirit. It’s the kid in all of us I guess.

What I personally love about the holidays would be the weather (because it’s the most appropriate time to layer clothing and wear scarves in a tropical country), then there’s all that celebration and the eating, and of course, the usual family gatherings. But with me miles away from my family and with my loved ones scattered in different parts of the world, how do I celebrate? What do I do once the eating and the partying is over?

See, the depression is kicking in already.

Take last Christmas for example. I flew back home to celebrate with my parents and sister. It was fun of course but not as fun as when my other sister and brother (and his family) were still around. I just couldn’t help but long for the old times. Those were the days.

I guess what’s happening is, the Christmas season reminds us of the things that really matter and the things that are important to us which are also the same things we can no longer enjoy, the things that we have to move on from as we grow up, the things that we miss so much.

This year, I have no idea how or where I’m going to spend the holiday season. It’s very likely that I’ll spend both Christmas and New Year ’s Eves in the office which is one of the worst things that can happen, but who knows? Maybe will work out differently this year.

Santa, are you reading this?