Every year, starting in December, the clock ticks slowly, hearts slow down, become gentler. Will be?
There is an invitation to look inward, a call to reflection. Words like "love", "hope", "light", "happiness" circulate from message to message. On social networks, on emails, almost everyone becomes potential content creators for Hallmark postcards, in search of the perfect phrase that touches the heart of those who read it. Many of these words, genuinely felt, really deserved this highlight.
There are houses full of affection, on tables full of cod with cabbage, french toast, son, coscorões that fill the eyes and bellies. Scents that evoke childhood, children waiting for the stroke of twelve to rush to presents, who in many cases, have no more space in their drawers.
Not everyone is able (or willing) to introspect.
There are those who feel lonely (surrounded by people), who despise their own company, who struggle with internal demons, even if they disguise this battle in a smile. Anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorders or other mental issues prevent many hearts from softening and truly appreciating the "Christmas spirit".
According to the World Health Organization, nearly one billion people were living with a mental disorder in 2019, 14% of which were teenagers. According to the same study, depression and anxiety increased by more than 25% in just the first year of the pandemic. Scary numbers. It is important to look at those around us without the frivolity of a “So, is everything okay?” without wanting the answer. Being able to be present, in fact, in the empathy of a hug.
This year's Vodafone Christmas campaign addresses the issue of mental health. The "Share what you're feeling" ad is a good example of what brands can do to wake up society. We know that advertising is the motto, but even so, it is relevant.
There are those who have no one (or where) to be with.
I remember the homeless. Nine thousand people (data from October 2022) in Portugal have the stars as their wallpaper, the moon as their lamp and the cold as their blanket. Some resort to temporary shelters, but many are homeless. Turn away, try to forget? These people exist, and for them, Christmas (or the start of the new year) is just another day to survive.
There are those who are not with whom they would like.
For many, this time of year is a forced reminder of family quarrels, past misunderstandings that common sense cannot resolve. Pits of opposing opinions, different ways of observing the world, depopulate the home. The Christmas table is smaller, but still cozy for those who sit next to each other.
There are also mismatched lives, prevented from the freedom to love. Jobs that require absence from the family due to the need to give to others. Souls in despair, awaiting healing in a hospital bed.
Then there are the eternal voids, irreplaceable presences, forced separations that time will never resolve. Friends whose voice we stopped listening to, family members whose arms will no longer snuggle us.
For all this (and much more), Christmas is also a day of sadness, a time of bitter sweets, where the energy of gratitude — for what we have, are and feel — must prevail in felt gestures, genuine words or in the silence of memoirs.
I wish you a Merry Christmas and a sweet, sparkling tomorrow.
Author: Analita Alves dos Santos is a Mother concerned with environmental issues... and not only
Comments