Surviving the Holidays Is Enough

Surviving the Holidays Is Enough

The holidays are hard and I’m tired of pretending they aren’t.

Everyone talks about joy and magic and being grateful. What they don’t talk about is the sadness that creeps in. The disappointment. The dread that starts before the day even arrives.

For me and for a lot of people, the holidays bring up everything we try not to think about the rest of the year. Who is missing. What went wrong. What never got fixed. What still hurts.

There’s pressure to show up happy. To participate. To make it look like we’re okay. But sometimes we’re not. Sometimes the best we can do is get through the day without breaking down completely.

And honestly, that has to be enough.

Not everyone has good memories tied to this time of year. Not everyone has a safe family or a place that feels like home. Not everyone feels loved or supported or seen. Some of us feel more alone during the holidays than any other time.

I don’t feel festive. I feel heavy. I feel disappointed. I feel worn down. And I’m trying to let that be okay instead of judging myself for it.

If all I did today was survive, that counts.

If all you did was survive, that counts too.

We don’t owe anyone cheer. We don’t owe anyone a performance. Sometimes just making it through is the win.

Hope doesn’t always look like happiness. Sometimes it just looks like staying here.

Hope dies last.