As the holiday week starts in full force, most of us will skate between joy and sorrow, hope and fear, concern and celebration. For some it will be a particularly hard week as they have lost someone they love and are alone for the first time. For others, they will reevaluate their priorities and cherish those they love and what they have. It will be a very different week than the one we experienced last year; the one that heralded the New Millennium. Who knew this is how 2001 would end? This year, many will be thinking about empty pocket books, fear of travel, Anthrax and war. Others will smile, hold their heads high and hope. This year there is no single path for all to follow, except perhaps, the feelings of patriotism that bind us. We are Americans all.

I suggest that you keep relevant rituals and traditions and at the same time. If they don't feel right, don't be afraid to part with old ways of celebrating. Keep what sustains you and take advantage of this time of upheaval to try new ways of giving and getting. Few of us need more non-essential things, yet most of us are in need. It is a good time to reevaluate our priorities and consider what we hold most dear. Whether you travel or stay at home, party or have a quiet dinner, or reach out to those you care about, during times of upheaval relationships, kindness, routine and love help to sustain us. This holiday is not a time to be alone.

Although many of us we are surrounded by seriousness and sadness, there is no reason to feel guilty about joy. If anything, catch it as it flys, for if we have learned anything since September 11th, it is that we can never be sure of safety again. Help your children laugh, for there is little as enriching as a child's glee. And, if this season gives you a case of the “blues,” as the saying goes, reach out and touch someone you love. If for some reason nothing seems right, remember, just because the year is ending, we are not.

Life is too hard to do alone,

Dr. D.

Dorree Lynn, PH.D.

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