Holiday Sadness Poem by Jim Yerman

For many of us the holidays are happy times…it's when we smile, we laugh…we grin but for many others the holidays is when sorrow comes flooding in.

When the waters of sadness rise around them…as they are reminded of a death, they wonder how long they'll be underwater…how long they'll have to hold their breath.

And though they know the flood will on day end and their life will resume unimpeded…they wonder how they'll repair the damage once the waters have receded.

How will they rebuild each time they're reminded of their pain…if they're lucky they start to notice little things…like the sky after a rain.

Like how the sunlight paints the morning sky as it welcomes in the day.
Like the laughter of their family…and friends they've met along the way.

There is no time limit on sadness…and it may take a while…but eventually they begin to remember all the things that made them smile.

And the more they remind themselves of the pleasures in their life…the less they think about the pain…
a skill they will find useful…when the waters rise again.