As I sit here preparing to sing at a friend's funeral tomorrow, I weep.
Why are the holidays so hard for so many? Why is there so much darkness surrounding us?
If this resonates with you, I want to tell you, you are not alone. Because of my work in music therapy, along with my teaching job, partnered with my other musical ventures, I come into close proximity with hundreds of people every week, and I have been noticing a theme over the past few weeks: people are hurting and people are stressed.
Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas. And something I have learned is that pain makes me really present (something we often aren't in our technology, social media driven world). So this Christmas, as I struggle a little bit, I allow my own pain and stress to help me learn what's really important. I'm trying to let go of any pressure I feel from others to buy the whole world gifts, or do a ton of Christmas baking or whatever. And i just want to enjoy the holidays. I want to enjoy the time I get to spend with my friends and family.
But first, I grieve with my loved ones tomorrow. Recognizing that we lost another great friend.
Merry Christmas to you. Thank you for being a part of my journey.