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Title: What to Do When You Are Alone for Holidays Author: Margaret Paul, Ph.D. E-mail: mailto:margaret@innerbonding.com Copyright: © 2004 by Margaret Paul URL: http://www.innerbonding.com Word Count: 723 Category: Self Improvement
What to Do When You Are Alone for Holidays By Margaret Paul, Ph.D.
Being alone for holidays is a major challenge for many people. Holidays often conjure images of family, of warmth and sharing of special time. Loneliness can be overwhelming when you have no one with whom to share holiday time.
Many people, however, miss point of what holidays are really about and what makes them special. Holidays are not about what you GET – they are about what you GIVE. Many people are under misconception that joy of holidays is about what you receive rather than about what you share. Our hearts get filled with love when we give and share love, rather than from getting love.
This may seem like a paradox. Many people spend their time with others attempting to get love, attention and approval, thinking that this is what makes them feel happy and worthy. But getting attention from others to fill ourselves is like eating chocolate when you are lonely – it works for moment but then you need more and more of it. Eventually it becomes an addiction.
What really fills emptiness is giving of love. If you are alone over holidays, question becomes, “How can I give love in ways that will bring me joy?”
Below are some suggestions for sharing your love and caring over holidays:
* Gather toys from friends and store donations and bring them to children who would not otherwise have toys. You can find these children through schools, churches and various other organizations.
* Find a battered women’s shelter in your area and help to create holiday there – preparing food, decorating tree, and just spending time with them. Last year a friend of mine organized a number of her local markets to donate food over Christmas to local shelter that housed mothers and their children who had left abusive husbands. She got to know mothers and children and received great fulfillment in providing them with an abundant Christmas.
