Is it really December? Like every other college student, I am currently in pre-finals freak out (TWO WEEKS AWAY?! WHAT?!). Chiding myself for tests earlier in the semester I could have studied harder for and conveniently blaming my honors student ego for allowing me to do so.
Never mind the quiet serenity of the beautiful snowfall, with its slowly swirling flakes, which Cedar Falls was fortunate enough to experience a couple weeks ago. Never mind the bells ringing in front of every department store and the joyous clink of change in red kettles. Never mind the lights, the decorations, the smiles and well wishes of every person I encounter. “A lovely thing about Christmas is that it’s compulsory, like a thunderstorm, and we all go through it together.” (Taylor Caldwell)
Just as Andy Williams sings, this truly is the most wonderful time of the year. Set aside religion, forget which holiday it is you are celebrating and notice how incredibly fresh everything feels. As Norman Vincent Peale eloquently states, “Christmas waves a magic wand over the world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.”
Every December we have the opportunity to be renewed. Covered in white, it feels as though Mother Nature herself is encouraging us to wipe the slate clean, forget our troubles and focus on the beauty and wonder surrounding us.
Thanksgiving gets credit as the holiday of thanks, but personally I believe December should get credit as the month of thanks. The calendar hits 12/1 and suddenly every other item I see in stores reminds me of one of the people in my life I am so unconditionally happy and thankful to have there.
Soon I’m struggling to set a gift-budget to accommodate all the people in my life. I think CBS News Journalist Eric Sevareid said it best; “Christmas is a necessity. There has to be at least one day of the year to remind us that we’re here for something else besides ourselves.”
Coincidentally, the holidays actually do us a favor in that way. As reported in Business Insider, a three-part study by Elizabeth Dunn, Lara Aknin and Michael Norton found that giving gifts actually promotes individual happiness. The study revealed that happiness is less based on stability (such as reliable income) and is more reliant on daily choices (gifting giving vs. personal spending). “Christmas is not as much about opening our presents as opening our hearts.” (Janice Maeditere)
Here’s another reason to smile: America appears to be getting happier!
According to The Atlantic Monthly, Facebook is monitoring the national mood through its Gross National Happiness Index. Using percentages of positive and negative words found in status updates, data shows that happiness is increasingly up during the weekends, and especially during holiday seasons. Furthermore, happiness is contagious, as discovered in the Framingham Heart Study (2003). This is fantastic news, as the national average of happiness is already increased during December and thus has the ability to keep rising.
Amidst the stress of the winding down semester, try to keep a positive attitude. “Don’t let the past steal your present. This is the message of [the holidays]: We are never alone.” (Robert Louis Stevenson) Recall the whole world is happier, finals are almost over, and the holidays are right around the corner. Take some time to enjoy the lights, a walk in the snow, and perhaps give a gift or two to a cherished friend.
And remember, “Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love.”
– Hamilton Wright Mabie
