Breaking-Up Over the Holidays

Breaking up at any time is difficult.  A break-up over the holidays can be especially painful. 

The holiday season and a break-up stand in stark contrast to each other.  The holidays are bright and cheery.  People are busy, and there is excitement in the air.   A break-up, in contrast, is dark, dismal, and brooding.  Even the things that normally bring happiness don’t during a break-up.

Ironically, the cheerful anticipation and enduring traditions that make breaking up at the holidays especially difficult can also be that which makes the process of breaking up a little more bearable. 

• Friends and family are often plentiful during the holiday season.   Reach out for support from the ones you love and who love you.  They may be the ones who encourage you to get out of the house or lend you a shoulder to cry on.
• Gatherings for parties, shopping, shows, and walking about town are more frequent during the holiday season.  A happy distraction can be good for an unhappy soul.
• Giving to others can help you escape from your own misery for awhile.  Volunteering with your time, money, or gifts – as well as carefully selecting and wrapping gifts for your own friends and family -- can serve as an antidote to gloominess.
• The to-do list which can seem so overwhelming at the holidays can also motivate someone to move out of their stupor of sadness.
• Finally, for those inclined, reconnecting with faith, especially during the season, can inspire hope when everything feels hopeless.

Breaking up can be hard on the heart.  Perhaps, at this time of year, the love that surrounds us and sustains the season will be the one that helps heal your hurting heart.