It makes sense to me that winter and its accompanying holidays would bring a sudden uptick in deaths. Nevermind the emotional impact of year’s end and the culturally mandated intimacy with people you might otherwise avoid.
At the most basic level winter is cold and cold weather kills off anything that might otherwise be lingering on.
(Except for squirrels, dandelions and morons. They’re immortal.)
My point is, it seems very natural to equate winter and its holidays with death.
And I know there are parts of the world where December is balmy but who can account for such places anyway?
Still, in recent days I’ve been met with the obituaries of Christopher Hitchens, Vaclev Havel, Joe Simon, Kim Jong Il and, for a few minutes, Jon Bon Jovi who quickly recovered.
I also learned Friday night of the suicide six years ago of a college friend I used to act with. Obviously we’d lost touch, but this is now the second person with whom I was once good friends who chose to leave early.
These are notches I’d prefer not to cut.
I’m otherwise having a great season, working a lot and enjoying the matchless good fortune of having a healthy family and no bad stuff near the horizon.
I don’t really know why I’m posting this except maybe to offer the idea that the holidays don’t need to be so bad if you don’t go in expecting them to be perfect, by your standards or anyone else’s.
Suck it, Martha Stewart.
Last thought:
When I really began to consciously part from the seasonal myths I’d been raised with I realized that, for all the satisfaction I took from being grown-up and done kidding myself, I still could feel a pang at the pretty trappings of lights and song and once a year food. The person I’d become was the sole surviving heir to the kid who’d once sung carols and been an archangel in the Christmas play. It was embarrassing, but also reassuring that I hadn’t become completely unsentimental.
Sometime between then and now a guy once asked me if I’d rather be happy or right.
I picked at that one for a long time until I realized there was no reason I couldn’t be both.
Happy holidays.
Wishing you Jack for the holidays!
