Christmas is a season for change, both literally and figuratively. Traffic slowly gets worse as the date gets closer to the 25^th of December. Lights adorn the trees and the buildings found on major roads. Custom flags and feather flags brandish the impending sale on different malls. Everybody seems to hurry to and from work more. Carolers flood the streets. Children seem to be happier than usual while their parents seem to be more stressed than usual too.

The yuletide season seems to drive everyone and everything to change, some for the worse and others for the better. It’s both a happy and chaotic time for a lot of people. Even I, too, have mixed emotions about the Christmas season.

Sometimes, I can’t help but be worried about expenses, just like any other parent. With gifts, celebrations, and several other obligations to attend to, this season seems to demand a lot more than what any other yearly occasions do. And the fact that your kids have higher than usual expectations too does not help either.

Fortunately, Christmas is also a time for hope. Just as it is considered to be the time for chaotic transformations, it is also the time when people become more optimistic, hopeful despite circumstances, and happy to be alive.