I GOT THE CHRISTMAS BLUES

Why is it at Christmas time many people become blue and down? I find myself in a very blue mood this past few days. I watched the wonderful Hallmark Christmas movies and that did it! I was depressed for three days!

The next day our local public television network was having a fund raiser with clips of all the stars of the Big Band era. That was wonderful but it brought back memories of my Mother and the songs she listened to when I was a child and some that I remember were my Daddy's favorite. That made me sad.

Okay so right after that they had a concert with all the Doo Wop artists from the 50's and 60's. I enjoyed that one 100% but memories flooded my mind of my teenage years, old friends I have lost touch with, my first love that lost his life in 1983 in a freak accident, and memories that I have not thought of for years and years. That made me sad.

Okay so then the next evening Oregon Public Broadcasting had another fund raiser with clips of British Invasion with stars like the Beatles, the Doors, the Animals, The Four Seasons, The Supremes, Little Richard, Little Anthony and the Imperials and all the wonderful songs from that era. That made me think of me as a young Mother and my three sweet baby boys. That made me sad.

I was in such a funk that I started to worry about me and what depression really is. Was I becoming a depressed person or was this just The Christmas Blues.

The next afternoon my husband made his delicious latkes and that made me feel better but then I realized that since I went to visit my boys in October I had gained 5 lbs. That made me sad.

So I prayed that the Lord would give me an attitude adjustment and help me get out of this mood. That evening I had expressed to an online friend that was feeling pretty much the same way as I, the way I was feeling and she said to me that she had received two thoughts from God and she shared them with me.

She said the thoughts were...

"Remember Ruth... she looked back, and turned into a pillar of salt."

and

"This is the day the Lord has made, let us be joyful in it"

This made me realize that I need to be thankful for the memories and make the best of the future and enjoy each day the Lord gives me, with or without family here during the Christmas season.


Then my sweet sweet doggies came to me and wanted to play. They are such characters. They like to play a game that I call "Where's Petey?". They get their little blanket and then I cover up their heads and say to them...Where's Petey? Kind of like peek a boo. They love it.


I guess he got tired of waiting for me to play so when Petey pulled my blanket off the sofa it must have fallen on his head and he brought it to me .....this is what he looked like.

It was as if he was saying.."Come on Mom, play with me"

I had to stop and laugh and giggle with love for this big dog with such a little boy temperament. He changed my mood and he and his brother, Sampson played for awhile and then I put on a DVD of the old program Carol Burnett.

That did it! I laughed so hard and that made me happy. It snapped me out of my Christmas Blues. It was so refreshing to see Carol do her stints with Vickie Lawrence and Tim Conway. This was entertainment at its best. I miss these kinds of programs. Programs these days are filled with crime, tragedy or reality TV which I say WHO CARES?

My husband and Sampson feel asleep watching Carol Burnett which made me smile. Sampson is as big as Alan!

I miss the good old days but I am happy to remember them and I am happy I have the memories of Carol on DVD and all the Doo Wop singers and the British Invasion CD's. I am blessed with what God has given me and thankful for my dear husband, my three wonderful boys, all my grandchildren, my two amazing dogs and all my dear friends.

I will not look back in a sad way but be happy to remember those good old days and I do thank God for each day he gives me and be joyful in each one.

Oh, and this morning I had lost 3 of those 5 lbs I gained.

Bye bye Christmas Blues!! Happy Birthday Jesus!!