Make new memories this Christmas

I think the importance of celebrating Christmas when you are away from home is just as important as celebrating with family. We can’t stop living our lives because we are away from our near and dear ones and we also need to keep in mind how being away during these special occasions can hurt emotionally.

In my first Christmas season in the UAE, I didn’t realise just how sentimental I was. As Christmas approached, I started to feel a deep sadness to not be with the people I love, partaking in the traditions. Two days before Christmas, I really wanted to have that turkey dinner with the homemade pies, the usual laughs with family watching the same Christmas movies every year. I had no idea what to do this year or who to do it with. I ended up sulking on Christmas Day, as I didn’t have work that day. From that moment onwards, I wasn’t going to let that happen again. There are festivities happening, other people in this city looking for people to spend Christmas with. It can be an opportunity to make new traditions, see new things and make new friends.

There’s no point feeling sorry for ourselves on these occasions. We need to embrace the situations we are in and make the best out of them. Do we really want to remember these moments only as the time we were away from home? It could be the time you had the tradition of Christmas picnics with the people we have been fortunate enough to meet. We need to ask ourselves, what kind of memories do we want to make during this period of our life?

If you don’t have any plans for today and you’re feeling down, reach out to your friends. What if you’re not the only one without something to do? In the spirit of Christmas, gather your friends to make new and joyful memories.

- The reader is a teacher based in Dubai.