Of a certain age: 'Tis the season

It’s that time of year again – shopping, parties, decking the halls, gathering with friends and families, exchanging presents, and singing carols.

If all is copacetic in life, the Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa season can create wonderful memories to last a lifetime. If you are alone, ill, fallen on hard times, or grieving, all the festive airs can seem like a cruel hoax, magnifying the difficult circumstances.

If I’ve learned nothing else about holidays, it is to acknowledge what is, celebrate what I can, be grateful for what I do have, and reach out to someone whose situation is as or more difficult than mine. By sharing with others, whether it be a meal, a gift, or my time, I help myself while helping someone else. My heart is warmed and healed by giving, sharing, and caring beyond myself.

If you are alone this year, invite another alone person to join you for a meal, a concert, a movie, or a winter walk. Join in the free Sisters Community Dinner on Christmas Day at the Sisters Fire Hall from 1 to 3 p.m., no reservation needed. Attend a Christmas Eve or Christmas Day church service, even if you don’t have a church you usually attend. Help serve dinner at a homeless shelter.

Whatever you are feeling, it’s okay – happy, sad, abandoned, forgotten, sick, bereaved, or numb. Give yourself the gift of acceptance, with no unrealistic expectations or demands. Cry if the tears come. Stay well rested, eat nutritious food when possible, get out in nature, and fill your lungs with Sisters crisp winter air.

Remind yourself that you are worthy and deserving of love – so love yourself well. May the spirit of the season touch you and fill you with peace.