A Miserly Christmas?? Where’s your Scrooge?

One of my favorite holiday characters is the Snow Miser.  He’s been part of the Christmas TV special “The Year without a Santa Claus” since 1974 and I’ve loved him since then.  I know it seems like an odd character for me to love since childhood, but he’s always stuck with me.  Several years ago on a trip to the Christmas Tree Shop, I found an animated snowman that plays the Snow Miser song and dances.. needless to say I had to purchase it!  Now it’s a regular part of my holiday decorating.  The children all love him!

This year, I realized that I didn’t bring him out of the closet where he is stored during the year waiting to emerge for the holiday season.  Why was he forgotten?

As I thought about it, I realized that the concept of the miser was strong in my thoughts in other ways, so maybe I wasn’t looking for another reminder.  Why is the miser a subject?  Because Christmas is a time for love and family and giving, all the things that the miser is not.  My father passed away just two weeks before Christmas when I was seven years old, and ever since then the holidays are a time of mixed emotions.  I think that’s why the miser always stuck with me, because there was such loss associated to the holiday.  The miser, as portrayed well in Dicken’s A Christmas Carol, is driven by the pain of loss, so therefore closes off his heart and withholds love, determine not to share with others.  I’ve always been the opposite, always giving freely and loving to give gifts at Christmas.  While there is a lot of joy that I have during this time it is always intermingled with the sadness.

Sharing is the key to the holidays, and those who have worked with me for some time will be reminded of the recycle symbol that I refer to when I discuss the concept of the Give – Receive – Return which is the Law of Exchange. The miser is the king of withholding.  When any withholding is happening, the cycle is blocked and energy does not flow.  Therefore, there is no giving, but also no receiving or returning of energy.

Look to yourself to see if there is any aspect of the miser at work within.  Are you feeling some Scrooge happening in any area of your life this season?  If so, it’s a result of withholding.  Keep in mind that withholding of energy is all about protecting yourself from experiencing more loss or sadness.

While I work to really give my joy lots of permission to express, think about that for yourself as well.  Joy is the flip side of the grief coin.  They exist hand in hand in the heart chakra.  Finding balance is the key.  Holding onto the sadness doesn’t serve anyone, but expressing joy serves everyone.!

Where is your joy this season?

Merry Christmas!

Jaelin