Loneliness

Expectations and Hope in the Contractions of Winter

Expectations and Hope in the Contractions of Winter

Penny Freeman, Copyright 2022

Projecting hope for the holidays is meant to “get us through” this dark season, and yet for most of us the bar is set high with expectations instead of hope. This sets us up for a frenzy of meeting expectations and then crashing afterwards. We long for a feast that invites us to feel full but not stuffed–to enter a house feeling the welcome of belonging. We hope for laughter, warmth, joy and delicious food–that IS what commercials are selling as “hope” during the televised breaks of parades and football games, after all; and yet hope mishandled leads to burdening expectations that will inevitably let us down…

Thoughts from Counselor Ann Spooner: To Stay Away or Draw Near?

Thoughts from Counselor Ann Spooner: To Stay Away or Draw Near?

Ann Spooner, Copyright 2020

For many weeks now, we have repeatedly heard the importance of social distancing for the sake of ourselves and others. This is necessary and wise counsel. However, it can lead to a sense of isolation and loneliness. Even as we begin to see more friends and family, not being able to hug them can still leave a void.