It’s a Wonderful Life. A Christmas Carol. Miracle on 34th Street. How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Polar Express. Besides being Christmas movies, what do they all have in common? They teach us that the holidays are what you make of them.
What we’d like to happen around the holidays
The holidays are supposed to be a time to eat, drink, and be merry. To spread joy and good cheer, to give back, and to share stories with loved ones.
What actually happens around the holidays
Road rage peaks as people fight over the last parking spot at the mall. You drop F-bombs as you try to get the Christmas lights up on the house and trees. You get into a fight with some lady because she took the last toy from right under your nose. You avert your eyes from the Salvation Army guy hoping for donations, because “everyone’s asking and you’d go broke if you gave to everyone.” Your family gets into a huge argument that started because your uncle George made a disparaging comment about aunt Lisa’s stuffing. You blow your Christmas shopping budget because you spent it entertaining others that you didn’t really want to entertain anyway.
Any of this sound familiar to you?
Look, I get it. We’ve all been there at one point or another. But watch any of those Christmas movies enough times, and eventually something is going to sink in: the only way it’ll ever change is if we do. It starts within us.
Fight the urge to flip the bird to the guy who took your parking spot. Don’t sweat it if you can’t find the toy you want for your kid – they’re going to be ok, I promise. Give a little to the lady ringing the bells. If you’re reading this, you have an internet connection, and that’s more than a lot of less fortunate people can say. Don’t want to donate your money? How about donating your time instead?
Wrapping it Up
I’m going to deliberately butcher Gandhi’s quote here: Be the change you want to see during the holidays. If you feel like the holidays don’t have enough good cheer or whatever else, then go out and spread some good vibes yourself. Buy a coffee for someone behind you in line. Send some handwritten cards to people who weren’t expecting them.
Ultimately, like I said, the holidays are what you make them. They’re just a metaphor for life in that sense: life is what you make of it. If you don’t like what you’ve got, why don’t you change it? Otherwise, you risk ending up like Scrooge, and we all know how that story ends… and if you don’t know how that story ends, stop reading my blog and go watch A Christmas Carol.
Like, now. I’ll wait.
