The holiday season is upon us, and, as such, life may seem to have warped into overdrive. Everything may seem as though it is moving so quickly. It may seem that we haven’t the time, space or energy to accomplish all the things. Couple that with the fact that, for many, it may seem as though the world is under fire due to raging wars, climate change, a vulnerable economy, political upheaval. What do we do with all of it?

For so many people, it may seem as though we simply are muddling through the holiday season, not truly embracing all that this time of the year has to offer. It may seem difficult to do so when we consider all that is going on in the world at present. Life may seem absurd. It may seem as though getting through the holidays is just one more thing we have to do. What would happen if, even just for a short while, we embraced what the holidays could mean to us? What would happen, if even just for a short while, we embraced the notion that life can be absurd?

How often do we give ourselves permission to embrace all the weird, all the strange, all the quirkiness of this wonderfully imperfect Earth that we live on? That may seem daunting, given everything going on in the world right now. Sometimes, we may feel as though the weight of the world literally is resting on our shoulders, leaving us feel so tired of what for many seems a constant barrage of bad news. Embrace the absurdity of life, rejoice in it. And, remember, that despite all the bad, we are surrounded by good.

We can choose embrace the absurdity of life by recognizing that along with all the bad—the wars, the flooding, the volcanic eruptions, the wildfires, the mass killings—there is good. There is beauty in our remaining nature, there are people who are kind and thoughtful and compassionate. There is a reason for this holiday season we find ourselves in. Part of that is to remember to show our fellow humans love and generosity.

It may seem as though there is little to be thankful for right now, but if we look hard, there still is so much for which we can practice gratitude. It may seem challenging to practice gratitude, but there is truth to the idea that gratitude is the birthplace of joy. When we look for the good, we find more good. And, despite the goings on in the world today, there still is good. We may have to look a bit harder, but it is there.

Maybe your life seems absurd. That’s okay. Embrace the absurdity and remember that there remains so much good in the world. Yes, times are tough for so many of us right now. That does not negate the fact that there is joy to be found, however fleeting the moment. Notice those moments of joy. Practice gratitude for the beauty that remains in this world, in people, in nature, in peaceful places.

We can hold both facts as true: life is both beautiful and ugly. We also can choose to focus on life’s beautiful absurdity and find joy in the small moments. We just have to give ourselves permission to do so. What can you do today to find the good, to notice the moments of joy, to practice gratitude for life’s amazing absurdity?

~ Karri Christiansen, MSW, LSW, CADC, CCTP