The Twelve Days of Christmas: Day Four


Do you remember when you found out that Santa wasn't real? Finding out that Santa was not real happened to me when I was about eight years old. The only detail I remember was throwing myself down on the chesterfield in our living room, in utter despair and a flood of tears. I remember nothing before or after that. If this was a traumatic event, it lasted only a few minutes, for that is all I remember.
But to a child, even a moment is traumatic. Children live in the moment, with little thought of the past or the future.

Santa really does add fun to Christmas. I imagine that many of us will say that the first time Christmas lost some of its glow was when they found out he wasn't real.

Santa Claus is a lovely legend and as parents we can get a lot of fun out of it. Who, as a parent doesn't enjoy watching their child believe in that magic for awhile? Who, as an adult, doesn't wish that for a moment, they could have the innocence of a child, believing everything that is told to them? Even now I enjoy many of the Christmas movies on TV where there is a theme of something magic.

 I am thankful for parents who allowed me to have a happy childhood although when I look back at it I think I may have been a little too sheltered from the realities of life. I had wonderful parents. They were not however, perfect parents.

 I read a quote this morning that made me think of my own childhood:

 "If you can be everything to your children...if you can give them everything they want...they don't need God."

 That is the kind of parents I had. I was so well cared for, and they were such solid supportive people, as well as people that you could look up to (and even idolize) that I needed no god, I had them. I would not come to know Him for myself until I was thirty years old.

What happens when we grow up and we no longer have parents being our Santa Claus and showering us with gifts?

 Christmas expectations can set us up for disappointment, whether we are children or parents.

 Unrealistic Christmas expectations for someone with depression can set us up for even more depression.

WHAT ABOUT YOU? How are you feeling today? Are you dreading Christmas or looking forward to it? 

 Don't give up! There is hope for depression.





Popular posts from this blog

My Little Helper

Image
  My Little Helper Casey Writes a Book! I am writing another book! This time it is a Christian devotional and I am looking forward to sharing it with you when I am done. In the meantime, just for fun, I googled 'yorkie writing a book' and this is the picture that came up. It's a beautiful picture, isn't it? Actually looks like a painting to me, what do you think? Anyways, that reminded me of how much you can find on the internet just with a few words to google. It's amazing, isn't it? And that got me thinking about how much information I have found over the years about depression that has helped me.
Read more

Joy and Sorrow - Together?

Image
  Joy and Sorrow - At the Same Time? Have you ever experienced joy in the middle of sorrow? I have. My father died suddenly at the age of 59. I remember the moment. I was at his funeral, sitting in the front pew holding my mother's right hand with my sister on the other side holding her left hand. The three of us were drenched with tears. The big church was packed. But despite my sorrow I was filled with joy at the life my dad had lived, at the lives he had impacted in a good way, and at the thankfulness I felt for having him all those years.
Read more