An Annual Appeal

 

No. Not him.

I don't come on here tonight to ask for money.

I come here to only ask for understanding.

As Santa came towards Macy's on Thanksgiving, it was time to accept that the holiday season was officially upon us.

To some -- heck, many -- that is a time of joy. They love all of it. They can't get enough. They want to hear Mariah Carey and have their tree up all year.

OK, that's their choice.

To others -- and there are quite a few of them as well -- it's a dark time. It really is. It's a time of difficulty and even a form of seasonal depression.

And that, frankly, is OK also.

The first Christmas after my father died was tough. It took getting used to and I don't quite remember the details except to say he did love Christmas so December without him was strange and sad.

Also, he was born in December so that added to the darkness.

Eventually, I rallied and appreciated the season for years. It was never my favorite, I suppose, but I wasn't miserable.

Sadly, I fell victim to just not feeling the holiday spirit as the years have gone on. Maybe it was post-divorce. Maybe it was too many family gatherings that had their own drama to it. I don't have a definitive date but I reached a point where I began to wish for Thanksgiving to fly by and right into early January.

I usually felt I wanted to wake up around January 2nd.

I had my reasons, including sadness over life and money and whatever else. It just felt like an empty and sad time every year.

I still feel it but it's not quite as acute as it has been in other years. Still, if I'm being honest, I'd rather not feel that way. I'm going to get through this one and see if maybe 2024 is better, but I digress.

Plus, again, the family commitments. I know I reached a point where I wanted to disappear during the holidays. I wanted to hide on an island or go to a distant place.

I will say that Thanksgiving this year was comfortable. For me, that's a start.

Of course, Mom died in 2020 and that first holiday season wasn't easy. Later in her life, it was my duty to get her places, especially on the holidays. So I initially felt a bit lost after she passed. Traveling was weird as well, including a trip Sean and I took to Pennsylvania the following February and our trip down to North Carolina that summer. We felt like her ghost was with us. It's gotten better but it was weird at first.

So what I'm getting at is don't automatically brand someone a "Grinch" if they're not sipping peppermint cocoa and sneaking under the mistletoe while "The 12 Days of Christmas" is ringing out on the Bluetooth speaker.

They have their reasons. They've lost a loved one recently or maybe someone passed during a previous holiday season. They don't owe anyone an explanation either.

And, to be fair, some people simply don't like the holidays. They don't like the crowds, the hustle, the bustle, the crass consumerism of gift giving or whatever it is.

They might think the movies are bad. Yes, even "Christmas Vacation."

(Personally, I prefer "A Christmas Story" and "Elf")

The point is who knows? And, honestly, why is it anyone's business?

It can frankly be a sensitive time of year. If they're not impacting you, then I suppose there's no issue, right?

Once again, I do personally wish we could sort of blink and have it all be over. Heck, I'd fast forward to late March if I could, with full memories of the fantastic winter season of games I broadcast as a token of the trip.

I don't want to miss everything.

Much like literally everything in our world, it would simply be best if we tried a little tenderness and, especially some understanding. Try walking in the shoes of others. Have some empathy. Nobody wants to be miserable so try to understand why.

I realize we can all be judgmental at times. But in a season that's supposed to bring out the best why don't we try that very thing?

There's enough hatred in the world. Couldn't we have a little goodwill towards all?

Some people simply don't want to listen to whatever holiday warbling you're playing. Some do and those who don't want to listen to it have to adjust.

Let each other be in these times of trouble.

It's a give-and-take.

Of course, 'tis the season.