Hi Reader,

I used to think everyone felt good in December.

I mean, what's not to love?

It's a time for family, food, and festive cheer.

And whether you celebrate Christmas or not, those holiday tunes make you feel warm and fuzzy inside.

Then I met a professional singer, who professed they hated Christmas.

Wait...what?

Was it because their holiday gigs were exhausting?

Or because work took them away from family?

It was neither of those things.

That singer has seasonal affective disorder (yes, SAD for short).

So the winter months literally put them in a funk.

Sometimes, the holidays make many of us sad.

A loved one may be working thousands of miles away, and can't be there to celebrate with you.

You may have been laid off.

Or you may be dealing with grief, or heartbreak.

And so the last thing you want to (pretend to) feel is happy and jolly.

That's why I appreciate Kelly Clarkson's song Merry Christmas (To the One I Used to Know) from her 2021 "When Christmas Comes Around..." album.

It explores the complicated emotions that can show up for us during the holiday season.

Songs like these give you permission to feel sad.

Even when everyone (and everything) else around you says otherwise.

Whatever your holiday vibe ends up being this year, remember that it's perfectly ok to not be ok.

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Rock on, Reader ✌️

PS: My music livestreams are back on this week! It feels like forever since I last hit the "go live" button, and I'm excited to get to hang out with you again, or to meet you for the first time in chat. Join free for the first 7 days.

Click the subscribe button below to learn more.

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