Christmastime Can Be Sad

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For those of us who have lost loved ones or those of us who are alone and lonely it can be very sad.
This year I have been thinking a lot about Christmas past with some of the people who are no longer with me.
I miss them very much. I was lucky to have them all for a long time but many are not so lucky.
My dad, my aunt, all my grandparents, my son (whom I never even got to HAVE and died just before Christmas)
I DO miss them but I carry on living because life goes ON and they would ALL want me to as well!
My dad, near the end wuld always tell me, Don't worry, be happy!
I know he was trying to share something that I never truly understood until just lately. Life is short and time is precious...don't waste it. It hurts and that is sad but, we CAN choose to rise above it! We can choose NOT to wallow in the sorrow but to step outside of it and cherish the moments that make life a LIFE!
This is the thing that I see since thinking about them so much lately.
They are gone but they are and always will be part of ME and my life in my memories and traditions and all the beautiful things I carry on that I have because they WERE a part of it for so long.
So here is my suggestion for the loneliness and sorrows when missing someone during this season of LOVE.
REMEMBER the good. REMEMBER the joy. REMEMBER the words of love and wisdom they shared with you.
REMEMBER your fave holidays together. REMEMBER the laughter. REMEMBER the hugs.
REMEMBER it all and KNOW that every single moment was a gift and a treasure!
When you feel so SAD and think that you cannot take another step forward or make another MEMORY it is TIME, long overdue time to open your own heart to something *NEW*.
If you can't find any of the joy inside yourself just think hard about something that you could do to give joy to someone else. CHOOSE someone and do something kind for them. Be a SECRET SANTA to them and leave them a little gift, or buy them a cup of coffee or ANYTHING, any little kindness that will shine a light into THEIR sadness. 
You will give them a small gift of joy that will ripple back to you and lift your spirits also.
THIS is the true meaning of CHRISTMAS. GIVING joy and love of yourself to OTHERS.
We often forget this, especially when we DO have a huge circle of family and friends of our own to amuse us and distract us and cherish us too. We keep our love tied up with all of them in a neat little package that outsiders are not allowed to enter or welcomed into.
OPEN your circle, widen your net, open your arms to just ONE other person who might be lonely or sad and GIVE them the gift of your love for one day. You could change a life! You could warm, melt and open a bitter heart and the ripples could change someone's whole WORLD. TRY!