Guilt for Sadness?

There is always hope!
Photo by Pinakeen Bhatt on Unsplash

Do you ever feel like this?
Photo by K. Mitch Hodge on Unsplash

I have what we sometimes refer to as "the gift of guilt".  Not that the guilt itself is a gift, but that I am really good at feeling guilty for a LOT of things, and this is not the helpful kind of guilt.  So, today I was at The Christmas Carol at the Hale Center Theater in Orem with a few family members.  I absolutely love this play and have been a few times before.  Unfortunately, today I was super tired.  It had not been a stellar night for sleeping, and as I watched old Scrooge watch his younger happy self singing and dancing I started to feel really sad.  I was sad for myself!  I love to sing and dance!  I love having fun with people!  I suddenly felt so old.  I still sing, but not as much.  I rarely get to dance.  But once I was sad, I also felt guilt.  I have a really good life.  How dare I feel sad over it!  

It wasn't until I got home and was lying down for a rest that I realized that guilt was not helping.  There is no need to feel guilt over sadness!  Life changes and I can't, or don't, always do the things I used to.  It is okay to be sad over that sometimes! I then need to remember that I can find new things to enjoy, or find ways to bring the old things I enjoyed back into my life!  

Taking away the guilt from the sadness helped considerably.  I felt much less sad without the guilt!  I also felt considerably better after a nap.  Sometimes those are just necessary.  Now I do not feel "Bah Humbug".  I feel like there is a chance I can "keep Christmas" in the manner I like to keep it.  With hope, joy, love, music, celebration and service. 

My plan for the future is to ditch the unnecessary guilt in order to move forward with better humor, and more hope!