The holiday season can be a complex time. It can often bring more attention to the loss or hardships of the year, a stark reminder of the complex relationships we have, or remind us of all the things we hoped to set out for the year. Not to mention we are supposed to be cheery and embrace all the joy the season has to offer. What if that joy isn’t sitting right this year? Susan Caine’s “Bittersweet” shows us like most things in life, the darkness and the light co-exist and the holiday season carries with it a bittersweet symphony of emotions that resonate deeply within us all.
The holiday season has a way of transporting us back in time. Part of the bittersweetness around the holidays is holding space for the nostalgia. Within this embrace is a whisper of melancholy. We yearn for the days when the world felt smaller, when the magic of the season was as real. This often speaks to the passage of time and the fleeting nature of moments, reminding us to savour the present (whatever that might look like for you right now)
As the world outside sparkles with lights and laughter, let's remember that it's okay to savor the quieter moments too – the moments that allow us to reflect, to cherish, and to simply be. The bittersweetness of the holiday season is a reminder that life itself is a tapestry woven with threads of light and shadow, and it's in this delicate balance that we find the true beauty of the journey.