Holidays
One of my web friends recently wrote about seasonal affective disorder (SAD). A friend of hers told her she thought she had SAD. The writer at first misunderstood. "You had sad?", she asked. Then she learned that something about the differences in light in fall and winter compared to spring and summer leads to depression in some people. This kind of depression is called SAD. It's also well-documented that holidays, such as Christmas and New Year's, causes depression in some people. So when, as in the Northern Hemisphere, these holidays coincide with the winter, we might expect increased depression.
It's unfortunate that, just when others are celebrating, someone might feel at his or her worst. Just when others are reuniting with friends and families, going to parties, having fun, enjoying days away from work or school, many people are lonely and depressed. Even worse, the lucky ones who are celebrating often fail to notice their depressed colleagues, friends and family members.
It's often true that those of us who are lucky in our lives fail to notice the depression of others. We assume that if we're happy or content or feeling ok everyone else is ok. We don't look for unhappiness in others so we don't see it. Since we don't see the condition we don't try to help. Since we aren't trying to help, we don't look for the causes. Since we don't know the causes we don't know what to do to help.
There's a real opportunity here. With modest effort and a little attention to others, we can really help. My holiday wish for 2003 is that we all be thankful for our own good fortune and enjoy ourselves but that we also look around for those among us who aren't as fortunate. We should look especially for those who are alone at a time we're together with family and friends, for those who are sad when we're celebrating. When we see someone who needs help, try to cheer them up. Even though it may be the weather or the light or the holidays or something else we can't change that makes someone feel "blue", our efforts to help won't hurt anything. At least we'll let them know we care.
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS
FROM YOUR INTERNET GRANDFATHER!
12-22-03
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