The Evolution of Holidays in my Life

Holidays – they are indeed a special time of the year. But the word holiday may mean different things to different people all over the world. Let’s start at the beginning, when we were all kids looking forward to holidays. For me, Christmas was my favorite holiday, mainly for the gifts. I believed in Santa Claus up until I was a teenager, then I saw my dad eating all the cookies I left for Santa. I found out the hard way.

Let’s not forget our school days. I looked forward to any holiday, just to stay away from school. I didn’t enjoy my school days. I am quite happy it’s over now. I worked in a professional environment for about five years. The holidays back then meant a different thing to me. I had to work during the holidays. I remember one Christmas day, while everything was closed, I got up early and went to work, since I was working on a deadline to complete an assignment. My brother was so sad to see me work on Christmas day.

I am not a parent, but I am sure it is heartbreaking not to see or spend time with your close family for the holidays. When my mother died in 2004, I missed her so much. I hated the holidays. I would cry a lot but my family didn’t understand. Lots of people think that when a death occurs, you must try to comfort the person, but that is not always the case. I actually wanted to grieve all on my own. For years I cried nonstop, especially on Mother’s Day. All day I would cry, until one year, I just stopped. I guess time really heals all things.

Holidays – what can I say now? After being diagnosed with Stage 1 triple negative breast cancer in 2018, I honestly thought that I would never spend another holiday with my family or friends again. I felt as though I was caught up in a bad dream or nightmare, and one day I would wake up and it would all be over, but it wasn’t. I had to undergo surgery, chemo, plus radiation. The horror. Why me? Why couldn’t I just sit back and enjoy the holidays like any other person out there?

I hated my life for a very long time, but now that I am slightly over things, I have learned to appreciate not only the holidays but every day itself. I was once told that every day is a blessing and not a given right. Looking back at all my past trauma, it could have been worse. I count my blessings and I now look forward to creating memorable moments with my new found family and friends.

So the real question is, what do the holidays mean to you? You have heard about my life and I would like you to think about yours. What comes to mind when you hear the word “holiday”? Is it a person or just a day on the calendar? Is it a religious day or a day to chillax on the beach? Is it a day to mourn or celebrate? Is it a day to make, spend or give money? Truly what does it mean? So many questions but do we have the answers? Hmmmm!!!