“A time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;” Ecclesiastes 3:4

Of course I’m excited about this post. This is right up my alley. But I’m not always laughing or dancing for all that.

Last week was Thanksgiving week, and that brought some things to mind for my family. We have a lot to be grateful for; business has picked up, and we have our friends and of course our faith has grown this year. I loved spending the Wednesday before with my two cousins who I only get to see every so often and that next month I’ll get to see my other cousins who I only see twice a year.

 Today I also found out a girl with a YouTube channel I watch was in a bus crash last week. (Her channel is called Katie Gregiore) She seemed okay but a little emotional about it. It’s true life is short. Morbid as this sounds, a few years ago I didn’t even know if I’d make it to 2015. People thought the world would end in 2012. Well of course here we all are. But life is not less precious because we have more of it. Life does not equal time. Perhaps you already know that, maybe you’ve spent the holidays without people close to you. Maybe you’ve had a rough year. It’s not a sin to cry on a holiday or use it as a day to remember people who made a difference in your life.

There is a time to mourn and a time to weep:

Actually it can be quite a relief to hear that it’s okay to feel sad and to grieve loss. The way I see it this verse is speaking three different ways.

1. To all the people who do nothing but mope about their troubles: stop it! There is a time for that, but it’s a season, and depending on the loss a few weeks or a few years, and it’s time to move on. Not to be unsympathetic or anything, losing something you can’t replace will always hurt, but hurt doesn’t have to be the center of your life and it shouldn’t be. Cry, be angry, talk it out; but do not pitch your tent on the hill of sorrow.
2. To the people who never face their troubles. Or who drown them in merriment and parties and busyness, until you go numb: This is almost worse than burying yourself in sadness because it means losing a part of you that is the key to you health in soul and body. It’s okay to “crash and break down” and be human, so long as you don’t switch to blaming other people for it.
3. To the people who haven’t faced sorrow or trouble yet: There is a balance to maintain between you negative and positive thoughts and emotions. better to know it now then find it out after trouble comes and mishandle it badly.

There is a time to laugh and a time to dance:

I have heard that we should celebrate things in our lives, ourselves, other people, personal and public victories. Whether celebrating means throwing a party, dancing around your house with the blinds shut, or just giving yourself a much needed or wanted break; I think it sounds wonderful. Or celebrate other people by telling them you care about them. If you’re like me and words are awkward try gifts or doing little things for them or spending time with them even if it’s something you don’t enjoy. It is perfectly okay to do this, and with the holidays coming up what better time to start making a practice of it. You may not have relatives you look forward to seeing but let’s face it the holidays are not about you, they are always about doing things for other people.

THANKS + GIVING= A holiday . Holidays are celebrated for the purpose of being glad for good things. To give thanks means to think, speak ,and act grateful for our blessings. However many or however few we have.

So with the good things and the bad, the happy and the sad, I hope you enjoy the holidays this year.

Have a great time!–Natasha