From the Creed:
Where there is despair, [I shall bring] hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
And where there is sadness, joy.
Many, if not most, of us are heading into a few days of midwinter holiday this time of year. For the Romans, the winter solstice fell on December 25 and was marked by a week of feasting and gift-giving called Saturnalia, in honor of the Roman god of time, wealth, and agriculture. Germanic peoples in the Dark Ages celebrated Yule with feasts and gift-giving, and many pagans and witches celebrate today as well. And of course, as Europe was Christianized over the past millennium or so, local traditions of feasting and gift-giving became subsumed into the Christmas traditions.
As joyous as these holidays may have always been, however, it’s important to be mindful of the surrounding circumstances. The winter solstice, for those of us in the Northern hemisphere, is the shortest day of the year, and therefore by extension the longest night. Many people, myself included, are powerfully affected by the lessening of daylight, a fact I didn’t realize until I spent a December much further north and found myself in a deep depression. Seasonal depression is no joke.
Then too, while many of us are fortunate to be able to spend time with family and loved ones over the holidays, this is not true for everyone. For whatever reason – death, estrangement, the reality of having to work, etc. – some people will find themselves alone during a holiday season which seems designed to remind them what they’re missing.
Of course, as Jedi, it is incumbent upon us to be aware of our own emotional state. When we cultivate the empathy required of us as Jedi, we become aware of the emotional states of others as well, and I submit that it is equally incumbent upon us to look out for those for whom the holiday season is not so joyous.
It really doesn’t take much to make someone’s day. And yet, making an effort to lift someone else’s spirits has the knock-on effect of creating happiness in yourself as well. One of our Maxims comes from a quotation by Winston Churchill: “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.“
And while you’re watching out for the mental and emotional well-being of others, please make certain you’re watching your own as well, and don’t hesitate to reach out for help if you need it.
However you celebrate, I hope your holiday season is one of joy and blessings.
