Tuesday, December 29, 2020

An Honest Reckoning of the Year

 Don't let others define your experience. Face it with unadulterated honesty, evaluate it on your own terms.

This may have been a nasty year for you. If you were sick, if you lost a loved one, or your livelihood, or your home, or your relationship -- like in any year, those should be grieved in your way as your psychology dictates. Get help if you need it and if you can!

This may have been merely an inconvenient year for you personally, and it should be given its due. Your working from home may have been a mildly traumatic change, with its partial isolation. You may have had to forego your favorite outings and events, change a vacation plan, missed a wedding or funeral. Not fun, but not a tragedy.

Some of you may have had a better year than normal, depending on your work or industry, or your home situation. Depending on your need for solitude or introversion, and your resources, and you might even feel a little "survivor's guilt" because you didn't suffer. You can deal with it, and if you did and need some assuaging, try giving until it hurts to an organization that helps those who did suffer greatly. Acknowledge that much of the country (world) has had an excruciating time, and allow them to grieve as they need to. Be a rock for others if you can, be an ear, a helping hand, an angel. Give blood if they let you.

But don't wail and gnash your teeth just because others are. That's their experience, and may not be yours. If you can feel some joy and share it with others, you bring them up a little. Seeing the universal irony and even humor in this crazy predicament is not a sin. Taking your life in stride is a viable defense against the dark forces. But for Pete's sake, feel your own authentic feelings and deal with your own reality.


No comments:

Post a Comment