Hope Heals: Make the season brighter

By Mallory Stiles
Editor in Chief

Another holiday season has arrived. I know that it is supposed to be all about merriment and cheer, but all I can think about is how depression seems to thrive for so many during these winter months.

Seasonal affective disorder is a type of depression that affects people during certain seasons, most commonly fall or winter. While a lot of people attribute the feeling to shorter days and less light, I can’t help but wonder if there is more to it than that.

Maybe people who suffer from depression year-round just feel worse when what is supposed to be a special time of sharing just isn’t so special for them.

Everyone will be spending the next few weeks, credit card in hand, running from one store to the next, tracking down gift after gift. However maybe, just maybe, this year we could do something different.

I know it is cliché, but maybe this year can be about sharing warmth with those around us. The world is cold enough this time of year; we need to do what we can to warm it up.

Being kind is a skill, and not everyone is lucky enough to experience it for themselves. So maybe just starting with the little things could have a wonderful chain reaction.

Give someone a random compliment. Get the door, give blood, smile at strangers, let somebody go in front of you in traffic. Or maybe just start by really listening to the people in your life; this is the season of distraction and we shouldn’t lose sight of the important things.

I know it’s hard when we all have so much on our plate but we are the only ones who can create the world we want to live in.

I went to Starbucks on Monday morning and ordered a peppermint mocha and a breakfast sandwich. I was having an absolutely terrible day so far and I had forgotten my wallet.

My barista handed me my order anyway and just said, “It’s on us.”

Sometimes all it takes to make a difference is the belief that it’s possible.