Message in a Bottle

   Many people have used writing messages in a bottle for numerous reasons throughout time. If you haven't done it before, I seriously recommend trying it out at some point in life. When I did this, I ended up writing three different letters, and sending them in three separate bottles. I released those letters in the hopes that it would help me to let go of anger I was holding onto towards multiple people. I wont lie and say that this therapeutic technique worked for every person who I wrote a letter to. What I will say is this; watching the bottles float away with my anger, not knowing who would one day read them, was an amazing feeling. Someone out there in this world would one day open my bottles and know that no matter what was written there, I had tried to let it go and move on with my life. For two of those people, that was the absolute truth after that day. For the other person, it took me a good chunk of time later to realize that the anger I had towards them was pointless and a waste of my time. Either way, it still helped me to begin the process of "letting go", which is the whole point of writing a message in a bottle.
   If I were to write another letter at this day and time, it wouldn't be focused on my anger towards another, but rather, on words I never got a chance to say. It would be addressed to everyone I have lost over the past couple of years and all the things I didn't get to say because the chance was stolen from me, or because while sitting beside their deathbeds, I was in shock and just couldn't figure out the right things to say in that moment. So I would fill up pages and pages of goodbyes and memories and let them sail into oblivion. I wouldn't care if anyone ever found this one. I would just be content with God knowing what they contained, and hope that he passed along the message.
   For anyone holding on to anything that they feel has been weighing them down for too long, I strongly encourage trying this. There is nothing to lose from attempting to let go of anything painful, but there is plenty to gain.

Finding the Magic in Holiday Blues

  

   Around this time of year, many people have been struck with holiday cheer. They go around singing Christmas carols, are hitting every ugly sweater party they can find, and are just walking around as if the world covered in Christmas lights and candy canes is the best version of reality. Normally, I am one of those people. The type of person who just seems to enjoy the holidays too much; as if there were some secret they are walking around with that the scrooges of the world can't seem to uncover.

But what of the many people who are walking around with the holiday blues? The ones who just cant seem to get their smile to reach their eyes in the family pictures or as they go about shopping for presents for their loved ones.

   While this time of year can bring so much joy to some, we must be aware that for others, it is a reminder of things they wish to forget. Maybe some of you have lost your job this year, and can't seem to hold another one down. For others, the finances this year have been rough, and not only did you lose your house or file bankruptcy, but your also scrounging just to put together one Christmas gift for your kids. Or for some, like me, this is a Christmas, (or another Christmas in a row) where you have to spend it knowing that loved ones have passed on and will never be there for another Christmas on this Earth again.

   No one prepares you for how to handle the sadness that may come during what is supposed to be the happiest season of all. You may, like me, be able to enjoy the festivities with your spouse and child(ren), just to have the blues hit you during the quiet moments of the season. Or you may have a breakdown during an important, happy event because the only thing you can focus on is what you have lost or what is missing. For others, they completely shut down and just want to skip the celebrations as much as they can so they can try and skip the pain that might come with the season. Lastly, there are those who have no one. They are completely alone for the holidays and the thought of that alone, is just too much to bear.

   What can any of us do when these blues hit us out of the left field? My answer, is to find the magic and beauty in the season again. If you are forced to have a Charlie Brown Christmas this year, then rock that Charlie Brown Christmas. Take this year to focus on the importance of having friends and family surrounding you, and if you're religious, take the opportunity to delve deep into the message of the first Christmas. If you are all alone, take this Christmas as a chance to make new friends by going to your city or town's celebrations, or by offering your help somewhere it is needed. Go grab a hot cocoa and get lost in the magic of walking around a neighborhood and looking at all the Christmas lights. Above anything else, for those who are suffering this Christmas, don't forget to let those around you show you their love and support. It is so easy for us to get consumed with our pain, that we tend to close off parts of our hearts to those who are trying to show us they are there. I encourage you all to let yourself have those moments where you let out the grief/pain, but it's okay to enjoy the the joyfulness that surrounds you as well. 

   No matter what your situation this year, if you have the holiday blues, take the time to find the magic in the smallest of things, and it will help you find the balance you need to heal this holiday season.

Every Life is a Story

I've spent weeks thinking about what direction I wanted my new blog to take. Did I want to have a theme as I have done with my last two blogs? Did I want to use it to send a specific message to the world? How often did I want to post?
Then I realized, in my life I have never been one to limit myself to specific rules that have to be followed; but then again, not many of us do.
In every single person's life there are millions of moments and experiences that make us who we are, and when it comes down to it, all we want is for our story to have been heard. We want to know that at some point, or at numerous points, we have truly impacted others and helped them in some way, shape, or form. So I am dedicating this blog to the randomness of life and to all the experiences it holds, in the hopes that maybe my story can help others the way that many other's lives have helped me.