Merry (or maybe not) Christmas

 'Tis the season to be jolly, right?  Well, maybe not.  This is traditionally the time of year that becomes very dark for many people.  

The reason this comes to mind is because I recently received news of the passing of a former colleague.  He died two days ago.  We had worked together for over 20 years.  He was my principal at Sandy Hook School.

Sad to say we did not stay in touch so I was not aware of any health issues.  But in thinking back over the past few years I can count several close friends I have lost.  Being in my late 70s this of course is bound to happen but it's still upsetting when it does.  Also, there have been many tragic events, i.e. the Sandy Hook tragedy, that add to the problem.  In fact when we think of all the bad things that have happened in the month of December or even a couple of months before, it's a wonder we're not walking basket cases as Christmas approaches. But the human spirit being as resilient as it is keeps us going.

This is not to say I'm depressed or dreading the holidays as some people are but I can understand how it happens.  Loss is simply a part of life. It's just one more thing we need to learn to deal with. Some people can't.  On top of that we have the condition that has come to be known as SAD playing a part-seasonal affective disorder.  It's basically the psychological condition that results from the loss of sunlight.  

The take away here is to simply understand what's going on for some people and show  more patience and kindness  to help ease them through it all. 

In the meantime I hope you all have a very merry Christmas and a happy, healthy new year.