Maybe you’ve noticed this? People seem to be in a rush for the holidays this year. There’s no secret how much I love the season of Light (no matter what you call it.) My students tease me constantly by asking me if my Christmas trees are up yet. That doesn’t bother me. I consider sweet teasing to be a form of affection and I know their intentions.

But seriously… people are in a big time hurry this year! My sister’s best friend had her Christmas decorations going up on November 1st! It seems like this year is more of a rush than I’ve noticed in the past.

But why?

I think it’s obvious. The world seems like it’s in more disarray than normal. The whole planet is very divided and it seems like people are exhausted by the stress, the anxiety, and the purely needless conflict that is going on. We look at the news at the peril of our nerves. If we do look, we do so (metaphorically) by peeking through our hands as if we’re watching a horror film.

We’re desperate for some undiluted joy.

There’s a holiday song called “We Need a Little Christmas” from the Broadway musical “Mame.” I think it reflects exactly what people are feeling. The desire to just stop thinking for a moment about the craziness going on in the world and just be happy for a minute. Even if I wanted to decorate for the holidays this early, I can’t. My husband has “Lee Laws” and #1 is no Christmas until after Thanksgiving. It’s not a law he has to enforce because I am in complete agreement with that rule.

But I think maybe before we say “no no no” to someone else’s “ho ho ho,” we should reflect that we don’t know what they’ve been through. We aren’t clear on what kind of trauma they are working through. If candy canes and holiday music a couple of weeks early changes everything for them, then maybe we should just let it go. Look the other way if it bothers you.

Joy is joy. Let people find it wherever they can. 

Angel blessings,

~Radleigh

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