Somewhere Between Ho Ho Ho and Bah Humbug, Please…
It is certainly no coincidence research studies have shown that more heart-related deaths occurred on December 25th than on any other day of the year among people already in the hospital. The second largest number of deaths transpired the day after, and the third highest peak took place on New Year’s Day, garnering the monikers, “Merry Christmas Coronary” and “Happy New Year Heart Attack.”
In the study, which appears in an issue of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association, researchers examined records for 53 million deaths from natural causes over a 26-year period (1973-2001), excluding suicides, homicides, and accidents. They found death rates from heart attacks and stroke as well as non-heart-related causes spiked during the holiday season and the percentage of holiday deaths grew over time. ( Deaths Peak During Holiday Season, Study Shows; Web MD, Dec. 13, 2004).
Why does the Yuletide season bear such woeful tidings? If reasons were tree ornaments, there wouldn’t be a bare branch: stress, pressure to buy gifts, the hectic pace to get things done, financial hardship, unemployment, homelessness, strained family relations, sorrow over death of a loved one, feelings of isolation, and more—all the while “tis the season to be jolly” hangs over our head like promissory mistletoe.
A firm believer in the reason for the season’s spiritual glow illuminated by birth of a Savior encouraging hope and renewal, I’m jingling my bells for somewhere between ho ho ho and bah humbug on the holiday Richter scale of merry. I find it hard to believe the over 40 generation embraces what conceivably can be heard on every street corner prior to Thanksgiving and up until the New Year:
Andy Williams, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year” – It’s the hap-happiest season of all/ With those holiday greetings and gay happy meetings/ When friends come to call /It’s the hap- happiest season of all…
Burl Ives, “Holly Jolly Christmas” – Have a holly, jolly Christmas/ And when you walk down the street/Say Hello to friends you know/And everyone you meet…Oh, ho, the mistletoe…
Somewhere in between ho ho ho and bah humbugs there are songs with realistic lyrics to tone down “merry” to “mellow” which I prefer:
“I’ll Be Home for Christmas” – Christmas Eve will find me/Where the love light beams/I’ll be home for Christmas/ If only in my dreams…
Mariah Carey, “All I Want for Christmas Is You” – I don’t want a lot for Christmas/ There’s just one thing I need /I don’t care about the presents/Underneath the Christmas tree/I just want you for my own…All I want for Christmas is you…
Whether life has been wonderful for us or not, each of us is George Bailey, touching one another’s lives in some profound way through all of our ups and downs. Somewhere along life’s journey we abandon a vision of sugar plums dancing inside our head. For our own survival and health, we must tune out the lively lyrics and ill logic of trying to deck the halls with preconceived perfection. Tis the season to believe, but not grieve.
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