20. Approaching Christmas 2021

If you are like me - living with anxiety and depression but “holding it together” for the most part - you may still struggle with the expectations of making Christmas the best and happiest time of the year for yourself and your loved ones.

You may be single and wanting to spend time with friends and family but just can’t quite make it happen because depression rears its ugly head and causes you to feel like you’d be the worst company to have around, especially at this celebratory time of the year, and the thought of plastering a smile on your face whilst in a deep pit of suffering, or feeling numb, has you quivering inside!  

Or you may be married with a family of your own and grappling with the expectations of you making Christmas happen for the family, when all you feel like doing is pulling the bed covers over your head and sleeping.  I know what that feels like!

Whether you are managing your depression and anxiety well, or slipping uncomfortably into a black hole, or lashing out at the ones you love the most and feeling awful about it; wherever you are mentally at this celebratory time of the year I hope you know you are loved, you are needed and you are beautiful.  You matter.

I hope you can take some time to deeply care for yourself, but more importantly that you can feel Heavenly Father’s love for you and sense your divine worth.  But if you can’t, because the mental black hole you are in is too deep and its walls have made you cold and numb inside, I hope you will hold on to what you know to be true until the sun comes out again. 

I love Christmas time, when I am managing well mentally and physically, but I know that for many people this time of the year is a complete struggle.

I think of the people in Kentucky, USA, who have just had over 30 tornados literally shatter their world.  I think of friends who have just lost loved ones, and others grappling with serious illness.  Life will always be difficult, but the difficulties we suffer contrast starkly against the bright star and the shining lights on the Christmas tree.  Why does it have to be this way?  I certainly don’t have all the answers but I do know that the Savior of the world came to bring us His light, His hope and His love, not just in good times but in all times.  We can always turn to Him.

He is the Light of the World.  And He has the power to light your world, even your heart, in the darkest of times.  

So this Christmas 2021 maybe wishing you a “happy” Christmas is too much of a stretch, not taking into account all that you may be going through, but I can wish you a powerful Christmas, a faith-filled Christmas and that you will know His perfect peace.

Much love,

Catherine xoxoxo