Prose

On Making Your Own Joy

Posted on by Khaya Ronkainen / 33 Comments

The holiday season can be a time of great joy or sadness, depending on where it finds one. I’ve been on both sides of the coin. But let’s consider this, holidays are important. With the ongoing pandemic and its variants, the displaced met by closed borders and other world issues, life is pretty stressful. In addition, our daily lives have never be busier than before. We are constantly plugged in. Surely, this all can’t be good for our well-being. That’s why we need holidays. They offer many benefits for our overall health.

But if you find yourself dreading the sometimes over-the-top season — with marketers persuading us to consume mindlessly, buying things we don’t need, spending money we don’t have or trying to impress people with gifts they don’t care for — think again! There are as many ways as there are people on this planet to do holidays. What’s key is finding what works for you or better still create your own holiday tradition.

In all, this is to say, let’s enjoy the season for what it is and don’t fret about what it could be. And perhaps, the most precious gift we can give people we care about is the gift of time. So, here’s to making our own joy!

decorative lights and snow

special note: This is my last interactive post for this year. I’ll continue searching for beauty and sharing it here but comments will be disabled till January, to allow for some quality time with my loved ones. And so, many thanks to you all, my readers and fellow creatives, for journeying with me in 2021. I wish you and yours HAPPY HOLIDAYS! ♥

p.s. Featured image courtesy of Santa Claus Village. Also linking to Poets and Storytellers United.

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Khaya Ronkainen
Khaya Ronkainen is a writer, poet and creative professional. Her blog focuses on all things poetry and creative nonfiction.

33 Comments

  1. I made sure to put my phone well out of reach during my husband’s family’s Thanksgiving dinner and was glad I did. I’ve tried to have it on me as little as possible while both my kids were on break too. Catching up with them is hugely restorative. I hope you get to make lots of good memories the rest of this season.

  3. I am all for doing what works for us. The alternative doesn’t make anyone (who matters) happy. Enjoy your non-interactive time, Khaya.

  4. Oh do I love this message, Khaya! It took me so long to even understand what was right for my wellbeing, much less implement it. Disconnecting from expectations and tuning in to what brings me joy is key to enjoying the holidays…and life. Thank you for this! Wishing you a joyful, peace-filled holiday ❤🤗

  5. Very good advice. The holiday season is already stressful, but I’m going to do my best to be thankful and to find joy in different things.

  6. I’ve always loved the holidays but I’ve never cared what day they were celebrated. As long as I could get together with friends and family that was what was best to me. The pandemic has been hard and too much time is spent online. It makes me value that time so much more when we can get together and visit face to face instead of screen to screen.

  7. The ice/snow and lights photo is perfect! Looking forward to ‘journeying with you’ in 2022! Hugs and lots of love from way far away.
    🙂

  9. The older I get, the more I dread the holidays. It seems a time everyone must convince everyone else how excited/worthy/happy we are. Good post and I like that you shut comments down for a month-ish. They do take a lot of time!

  10. I like your idea of sharing one’s time. My best memories have been of sharing time with my wife and sons but also to appreciate the time spent in a handcrafted memory that was a gift.
    Thank you for the reminder.

  11. Kudos to you for taking time off from the endless scrolling! Time with family and friends is really precious and restorative. Thanks Rommy, I’m trying to be fully present and enjoy quality time with my loved ones this season; it’s been another rough year.

  14. I’m so happy to hear you find this post meaningful. It took me some soul-searching, mindfulness and a lot of “I don’t care” attitude to finally disconnect from expectations. 🙂 Thank you so much, Natalie. And here’s to tuning in to what brings you joy! ♥

  15. The holiday season can be stressful for a whole lot of different reasons. Take care Curtis, and do your best to find that joy! 🙂

  16. Definitely getting together with family and friends no matter what holiday we celebrate is the best for me too. The pandemic has been (and continues to be) extremely hard. That’s why I thought about giving my time this holiday season. Regarding time spent online…Despite that I’m grateful for being able to keep in touch with my family and friends who live in different parts of the world, screen time is exhausting!! But thank you so much Lori for reading. I hope you enjoy the holiday season.

  19. “It seems a time everyone must convince everyone else…” True this! Maybe it’s because our lives are so busy nowadays that we don’t have any time left to give. And then when holidays come we try to play catch up. But that doesn’t make anyone happy really, in the end. Thanks Jacqui for your visit. I wish you a restful season!

  20. You are so welcome, JB. Best memories are made from quality time we spend with our loved ones. A joyful season to you!

  28. Khaya, the gift of time is the most precious gift of all and it is sad how many do not recognise this! Your series of posts have been an enriching and enlightening read – thank you for sharing with us. Wishing you a wonderful break this holiday season, my friend. hugs xx ❤️

  29. Annika, your comment means a lot. I’m so glad you find these posts valuable. Thank you so much. A wonderful break to you too, my friend! <3

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