The gift of Christmas cheer
I’m not feeling it this year. I’m just not feeling the Christmas spirit of any kind, and I know, for the benefit of others, I need to get out of my slump.
Christmas cheer is a real thing.
A variety of studies have found that we actually do become more cheerful — at least most of us do — during the most giving time of the year.
Insider cites a study in Denmark in which brain scans were conducted of people looking at images of colorful Christmas decorations.
“The front of the brain lit up for those who celebrated Christmas as the holiday images flashed before their eyes, showing that there is a ‘holiday spirit network’ in the brain,” reports Insider.
I certainly have long had a strong holiday spirit network inside my brain thanks to my mother.
She worked hard to make Christmas as fun and enriching as it could be.
She was a master at building up suspense about the surprises that awaited us Christmas morning.
And even during some of our most challenging years as a family, when Thanksgiving concluded, her Christmas switch went on and she loved nothing more than decorating the house, holiday records playing as she whistled beautifully to the music.
My mother was always at her happiest during the Christmas season and her joy was infectious.
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Copyright 2022 Tom Purcell, All Rights Reserved. Credit: Cagle.com
