A Christmas Carol
December 25, 2007 Earlier this month, I was asked what I would be doing for Christmas. I replied that after having arrived in Toronto on Christmas eve, I would be giving my first lecture at the US-Canada Pure Land Buddhist Retreat. On hearing my reply that I would be working, Cameo and Jim were probably both even happier they were taking me out to dinner with them! I thought of how I was looking forward to trip: lecturing on the Amitabha Sutra, participating in a retreat, seeing old friends.
After I got home that evening, I learned that in the United States, more people will have heart attacks today than any other day of the year. It's a combination of stress, too much partying, people not following their regular schedules and forgetting their medicine, and several other reasons. A day of celebration has, for too many people, become a day of anxiety and overindulgence.
And there is more. This is also the time of year the suicide rate increases as depression becomes more prevalent.
Regrets. Memories. Expectations. We think others are having fun but we’re not. We think by indulging ourselves and others, we’ll all be happy.
One of my favorite movies at this time of year is the 1951 movie, A Christmas Carol. Scrooge learned how to embody the spirit of Christmas by being considerate, by spending time with his family, and by giving small but needed gifts. Maybe he was on to something...
Reader Comments (2)
I couldn't agree more.
Why do so many even celebrate Christmas? Are there really that many Christians? Do the same numbers celebrate Easter?
Well, maybe, maybe not. But as I was walking around the supermarket for some last minute 'necessities' I couldn't help but ask myself 'What will happened to all the food that doesn't get sold?'
I am not a vegetarian, but this year for some reason I thought about how many lives had been lost in the name of this 'tradition'. What a sad reflection of our consumer-culture. What a perverse display of selfish over-indulgence. Or maybe I'm just getting cynical in my old age.
Of course my own personal over-indulgence of food and drink has come back to haunt, or punish, me. Serves me right.
I used to feel more depressed at Christmas. The thought of all those happy people enjoying themselves with company. I got quite envious. Then I got angry. Why can't *I* have all that? I began to hate people. I began to hate myself. That's not good.
But that's the problem with Christmas for those who don't fit in and for those who suffer with mental illness. Christmas just amplifies our unhappiness and makes us feel worse. Then again, maybe it's selfish of *us* to feel like that.
Life is complicated. It often doesn't make sense. Sometimes it's good, but not for long. A bit like Christmas...