Merry

Tis the season to be merry! To be merry means to be grounded in the moment, to enjoy the now, to be grateful for the blessings, and to celebrate with family and friends.

Growing up in Iraq, Christmas was my favorite holiday. My parents played Santa Claus until I discovered their secret at the age of 9. Each year, my sisters and I received one present only and that present was left on the foot of our beds. One year, my parents couldn’t afford much so they filled small brown paper bags with three chocolate bars and one lollipop. That was all they could afford. And on Christmas Eve, they placed those bags on our beds as usual. I can still remember the joy those candy bars brought to us. Living in poverty, chocolate was a luxury we didn’t experience often even though it was not expensive. My sisters and I decided to be creative and take one candy bar at a time, split it into three equal parts, and share it with each other. This way, our chocolate lasted well over a week. We were beyond grateful as we savored each bite.

Our Christmas gift-giving was very simple. What made our Christmas special and elaborate was the family gatherings and the Assyrian traditions we participated in. Mom always bought us a brand new outfit to wear on Christmas morning. I think I was always more excited about wearing my outfit than my one present. My entire family gathered and celebrated the holiday for three straight days. Our parties contained music, dancing, delicious food, and fellowship. We found ways to be merry even in the darkest times…the endless wars we endured. Bombs exploding in the middle of the night, destroying various buildings throughout our city were not going to stop us from gathering and celebrating. It took gratitude to be alive and to be able to experience joy amid oppression.

To be merry, you need to be grateful for what you have, where you are in life and the blessings that are poured over you, no matter how big or small. Those candy bars brought me more joy than most of the presents I had previously received. What made that gift so different? My level of gratitude. I know my parents didn’t have much but they still did something when we didn’t expect it.

It is difficult to be merry especially when the world seems to be on fire with Covid. But that’s all the more reason to be grateful for what we have even when it’s not much. One day you will look back and appreciate the gratitude you had when it mattered most.