There are a few of us who barely knew Christmas was here. Some opted out and some had it stolen from them. I viewed it this year as a gift of some silence although with everything going on around me, you’d never know anyone was taking a break. For a few of us, work just kept on going straight on through. Having stayed home New Year’s too and not having a single decoration or light within eye shot, I don’t feel the particular letdown of the Holidays being over. In my day-to-day life I don’t understand the difference between Monday and Saturday, they all blur together into one gigantic day.
For some people though, it seems like Cinderella turning back into the girl scrubbing the floor surrounded by some pumpkins. Christmas in this case is a good deterrent for a time of love and dancing, but then the brutal reality of work comes crashing in or even worse, the return to Depression.
I’m writing this today because January can be one of the most depressing times of year for people. The Holidays gave them a chance to interact and be merry, but then all those people who were off work have to return to their jobs and a depressed person might feel like there is nothing good until the next Holiday happens when their friends are available again.
Imagine playing in the sunny meadow and then a Prince or Princess comes along and asks you to dance. You have a wonderful time, you get on the horse with them and ride over the moat, across the bridge, into the Castle, they show you your new throne and then they say, ‘Ok, I’m off…I’ll return in a week.’
Part of you may be thrilled by the new architecture and independence, but without the person you met there, you might be extremely bored and looking at life as pretty dull. There is nothing for you to do and you slump into the waiting mode, hoping the next party will be soon.
Worse for some people is when all of that happens but they have fun with you and drop you back off at your home and say, ‘I’ll pick you up for a summer BBQ’.
“For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and there you will long to return.” is a Leonardo da Vinci quote that I have always loved. I always looked at it as the thing which drives me. There are certain things I have experienced which have been very good for me and I recognize quickly that I can’t return to the old ways of doing things. After being around very calm, considerate people, I can never go back to abuse. After meeting extraordinary souls, I have felt my own soul improve and so I love the quote.
However, the quote can also mean that a depressed person after experiencing one party or one crazy fun event up in the stars will look at the ground with disappointment. It’s not an entirely bad thing because it prompts us to improve our setting and environment but I am afraid most people who are depressed in January will feel as though the amazing festivities are indicative of everyday life. It’s not one big party and this extreme example of fun can make a person’s everyday life feel very lackluster.
The word ‘Aftermath’ is usually used to describe the period after war, destruction or catastrophe. While I do hope everyone enjoyed their Holiday Season, the celebrations can feel much like an aftermath in the life of a depressed person. Staring at Christmas wrap, stacked dishes, empty folding chairs and pine needles on the carpet can seem like a warzone. Cleaning it up can keep us busy for a while but then the bare rooms can seem more like a desert. This is part of what leaves people feeling deserted.
Having been through a brutal case of January blues followed up by 11 months of abandoned self-worth for many years in a row, I can only say what has worked for me is to put way more emphasis on my life that happens between weekends and holidays, than the Holidays themselves. If you are truly a weekend warrior, what kind of game-plan can you implement for yourself that will make you enjoy every moment equally. I am not suggesting there are not times which are just hard work, but can’t we whistle while we work like the song recommends?
I might go back and read my own Time Stealers and Bad Habits blog again and see if I can still be streamlining some parts of my life that are tugging away my good moments. There is always room for improvement in time management and allocation.
Like sands through the hourglass, these are the Days of Our Lives…(Nope, I absolutely don’t watch Soaps, I just know the saying)
Much love!
Karen :)
“When I was 21, I got into a motorcycle accident while traveling in Europe and I had to lie around a lot in the aftermath, which was really the first time in my life that I became really focused and inspired to write.” ~Chantal Kreviazuk
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