My favourite memories of Christmas are of the reveillion. After Midnight Mass we would have a snack of sandwiches, pickles, and a cake called the buche. It was the only time that my family really got together consistently. I loved it.

I know so many people who find going home to family for the holidays to be s stressful event. I guess I know partially how it feels because the last time I went home I ended up being very uncomfortable being pushed into the position of “child.” And for some, memories of conflict and favouritism still haunt all visits back to the familial home. A sixty year old man can bitterly re-hash hurts from 40 years ago, in such a way as to sound like his teenage self.

We know that love cures almost all and that the opposite of love is fear. The unresolved hurts from our childhood usually come from fearing not being good enough or smart enough, or fearing that we were not loved enough, if at all.

So, we can’t fix the past but we can work towards a better future by showing abundant love and acceptance to those closest to us at least, and to as many others as our spirit will allow. The happier our spirit, the more love we have to share, but it also works the other way around: the more love we share, the happier our spirit.

It’s true also that when people are in pain, they tend to focus on themselves and find it difficult to reach out to others. I want to encourage everybody to think of one gesture they can make to reach out. Maybe it’s buying a pair of gloves to give away to a homeless person, maybe it’s shovelling a neighbour’s walk, or apologizing for harsh words spoken to a loved one. We can look forward to the future and start a new tradition. What if we find a way to show love and appreciation once a day? I guarantee it will lower your stress level.

If your stress is not completely chased away by conscious thought there is a Community Talking Circle, which started out in the Boyle Street Plaza but is being moved to Ambrose Place (9629 106 Avenue) for the December 10 and 17 Circles which run from 9:30 a.m. until 1 p.m., with lunch served. Everyone is welcome.

I’m thinking I need a new way to relax so I’m going to try yoga at the Boyle Street Plaza. It runs Mondays at 6 p.m. and Thursdays at 4:30 p.m. I’ll see you there!

Manon is a resident of Boyle Street, a former member of the BSCL Board, and an active volunteer in the community.