December 3-The Woes of Christmas

Well, I am following up my Joys of Christmas with the Woes. Unfortunately where as there are so many things about Christmas to be joyous about, there are also things that can bring you down a little. For some this time brings on old pains, new pains, or just the everyday same ol same pains. Example-December 26, 2008 Betty Lavon Turner passed away at 12AM-well to get literal it was like 1203AM. Betty was my grandmother. She was in the hospital a few days prior to her death. We had Christmas in her hospital room and then Christmas night, while some of us were with other family, having our Christmas elsewhere-we were called back to the hospital. It was around 7PM Dec 25, 2008 when I got to the hospital. It was 10 PM when we all went to her ICU room and, basically, said goodbye. At 1130PM I decided I would go back home, to be with my babies. At 1205AM Dec26, 2008 my mom called to tell me my grandmommy was gone. Here we are now, going on three years and I still remember it all like it just happened. It saddens me even writing it. My heart aches for her every holiday-the most being Christmas. Point of this is that some people have so much to be sad over during Christmas. There are people right here in my community that will barely scrape by just to give their children one thing on Christmas People who will not have a meal on Christmas day, unless they can make it to a Shelter of some sort that still has enough food left over. There are people who will spend Christmas Eve sleeping under the bridge on the highway, or in a park, or just somewhere on the streets in general. Many with only the clothes on their backs to stay warm. There is that family I wrote about in a prev post that have to face what I face in 2009-their first Christmas without a loved one-of course, the loss of a child is hardly comparable to that of a grandmother. They are both sad, but the loss of a child will hit harder on Christmas morning. Anyway-I am sure I could find many other things that someone can be sad over during Christmas, but I am also sure the point is taken.
Lighter side of the woes of Christmas, and yes there are lighter woes. For instance, I have yet to decorate and I typically do that the day after Thanksgiving. Oh, and lets not forget the shopping, are you done? I'm not and probably wont be until the week before Christmas, or could even be a few days before. Wrapping, ugh, i don't know how anyone else feels about wrapping those presents, but I hate it. And I usually end up having to wrap for my mother, my dad(sometimes), sometimes my sister, this year I will have to help my kids because they will be shopping at their schools. So, there are a few things on the lighter side of woe. Point from this post would be just this: I know there are many things to be woeful over this Christmas(and others to come) but, if you think of my prev post(The Joys of Christmas-go read it if you haven't :) ), there are many things to be joyful over as well. Don't get sucked into the bah humbug of your woes, remember the joys and happiness will overcome.