The Merry Side of Christmas

"Merry Christmas!" 

The cry rings in the balmy air of Oklahoma on this sunny day. Or, if you belong to this generation, you open the Facebook and you are assaulted with the smiley faces and caps lock accompanied with this joyous phrase. 

What does this statement mean? It may be very bluntly translated as: "You. Be happy. It is Christmas."

Be happy... It is no wonder that people through the ages, following on the heels of like tragedy as myself, see this holiday approaching and feel the deep urge to turn tail and run in the opposite direction. These past few days I have spent calculating just how difficult it would be for me to dig a hole to curl up in until these days are over. Now I am here, the day is done, and it seems that my worst fears are far from realized. The day was not dreadful; it was anything but dark. The sun was shining, laughter rang in the air, and joy - unexpected joy - flowed from the heart. 

I've realized that the darkest days are those you spend anticipating the light. Those days you spend anticipating the joy, feeling the loss of the one who will not be there, are the hardest days. When the joyful day arrives, somehow the loss is not so sharp. It is clouded over by a joy that comes from deep within those around you. Perhaps the joy comes from the sorrow and loss. I do not think my joy would be so sweet now if I had not lost someone so precious. When you lose someone you love, you realize just how sweet the presence and joy of those you love are. The pain of the one you lost is sharpest before you are surrounded by those you love, in anticipation of that joy. Somehow it will not be the same as before. The clown with his loud laugh and stomping feet will not be there to cause a riot. His loud comments, rambunctious attitude, and fun-loving ways are gone forever. Yet, somehow, someone fills in the laughter, someone makes the snide remarks, and someone stomps around. They do not take the place of the one who is gone, but they remind you that such things are not lost forever simply because he is gone. 

There is joy tempered by sorrow. There is light contrasting with the darkness. There is laughter after the tears. There is peace in the midst of the storm.