Anyone feeling blue the week before Christmas?

Its Monday, many of us are feeling the pressure of Christmas upon us, some of us are off  of work, some of us are out of work, there is an entire demographic that hasn't had work for quite some time, and yet the twinkling lights and background music of almost every business site are telling us to , "Be Merry!", "Be Cheery!", "Be Bright!"....well....how can you be merry, cheery, and bright when you are out of a job? Where do you find a smile when you aren't able to stretch the muscles of your talents and abilities and feel the intrinsic reward of accomplishment and the extrinisc respect and compensation from society and your peers? Its a tough gig, my friends....and I don't suppouse that I know the right recipe to eradicate the kind of stress and depression many are feeling this season. But, I can suggest that we all take a heaping spoon of empathy and grace this week and start looking around to those who are less fortunate then we. If you are reading this blog then you are blessed beyond most other people's comprehension. If you are clothed and fed and warm, then you are blessed. And if you are feeling stuck and depressed, I am deeply sorry for your state and I know that its a small solace at the moment to know in your head that its a season from which you will find inevitable change. My heart is heavy for the burdened, and every burden is heavy to its owner. So, where ever you are this week, whatever your state of mind, consider looking around at the state of others and consider whether or not you might help them with their burden. Sometimes all it takes is realizing that the burden you bear is shared to eleviate the pressure of its weight upon your shoulders. My prayer today is for us to give each other grace and to be generous with our kindness. Its a bright season for some, its a dark season for many. But its also an opportunity to realize our own spiritual and emotional wealth and to share the gifts of the heart with not only others but ourselves. Be kind to your heart this week. Be generous to your soul. Pressures of life are mostly man made. You are beautiful, you are special, you are a gift to this world, and you are worthy of celebration. No matter your state, there is a beauty and a treasure within you that is unlike anyone elses. You are a gift to this time and place and in you lives the essence of Love. Take comfort , my friends, and, when opportunity presents itself, give yourself the gift of giving comfort in return.