2022 Attending author Renee Regent
Hope for the Holidays
For many people, celebrating the holidays this year will be
particularly festive. After the tragedy and turmoil of 2020, being able to
gather with friends and loved ones, even while being cautious, has more
meaning, and joy, than ever before. A sense of normalcy is slowly returning,
even though the pandemic may not be completely in the past.
When it comes to holiday traditions, it’s easy to take them
for granted, until something unexpected, like the pandemic, takes them away. Sharing
traditions with those we love becomes even more precious than any gifts we may
give or get. That’s why there’s a collective level of excitement growing as we
approach the end of this year.
Another Perspective
But for some people, the holidays have a different meaning,
regardless of the year. Not everyone is willing or able to celebrate, and some
have very personal reasons for not participating.
How and why one chooses to celebrate, or not celebrate the
holidays, is an intensely personal thing. It may be cultural, it could be
religious, or it may simply be personal preference. But when something is as
pervasive in society as is our annual ramp up to the grand finale of New Year’s
Eve, and all the hectic activity in between, it can take a toll on a person’s
attitude.
Holiday Overload
I must confess that as I’ve gotten older, I am less
interested in the holiday hubbub. Decorating feels like a chore; shopping for
gifts becomes a race against time. Endless holiday-themed commercials become
even more annoying than pharmaceutical ads, and I swear, if I hear “Winter
Wonderland” one…more…time…
But then, when Christmas is almost here, a yearning comes
from somewhere deep inside, and I find myself searching closets for that old
DVD of Rudolph, or the Grinch, or Charlie Brown. I actually look forward to
exchanging gifts, because the pressure to find and wrap them is over. Seeing
little kids getting all excited over the lights, or going to see Santa, melts
my irritation away, and I find myself enjoying the holidays once more.
So now I try every year to not let cynicism take over, and to
enjoy the little things.
Deep As Snow
But some people have more serious issues with the holidays,
and that is what prompted me to write the short stories that comprise my holiday
novella, Running In Snow. Sometimes, past trauma can make it difficult
for people to enjoy the holidays. I’ve had a few unpleasant holidays in my
past, so I wondered what it would be like for someone who refused to celebrate,
but was in a situation where they had to?
What on earth would make them go through with it?
That was the basis for Noelle’s
Promise, the first short story. Noelle had some serious trauma around
Christmas from her childhood, to the point where she would not participate at
all. Not with friends, not at work, not in any way. She simply avoided it.
But when she fell in love, her life changed. Should she
continue to ignore the holidays, or try to join in her boyfriend Logan’s family
celebrations? She makes a valiant effort to do so, but things don’t go as
planned. Through a series of unexpected and almost tragic events, Noelle
discovers that the way past your fears is to go right through them.
Eve’s Hope, the
second short holiday story, is about a woman who believes she is cursed. Every
New Year’s Eve, something goes wrong. When her heater goes out in a rare
Atlanta snowstorm, her handsome neighbor, Kirk, comes to the rescue by inviting
her to his party. She makes the best of it, hoping to get through the night
without her bad luck kicking in. Let’s just say there’s a few surprises in
store before the clock strikes midnight.
(Side note- a book signing I had planned when I
launched this book was canceled—due to a rare snowstorm in Atlanta! I kid you
not. My tweet about it went viral, and there was even an article about it in
the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Oh, the irony!)
I enjoyed writing these emotional holiday tales because I
was able to explore those feelings of dread I get every year, but still end up
on a happy note. Do you ever experience negative feelings around the holidays?
How do you cope?
Running In Snow is available on Amazon for just .99,
and is also in Kindle Unlimited. I sincerely hope you enjoy the holidays,
however you choose to spend them!
Running in the Snow amazon link
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