I woke up this morning feeling particularly lucky - I'm healthy, and that's huge. Lately, I've been hearing about friends and family dealing with serious health issues, and it made me want to write about how we don't always appreciate being healthy, physically or mentally. How we often take it for granted.

Heading towards the dining table that I call the desk, I saw the huge boxes of Christmas deco and felt the magic. Sighing joyfully, I opened my laptop to scribble down my thoughts and then stopped. I felt irrelevant. How could I even indulge in these heart-warming thoughts when lives are upended, blood is shed, and families are torn apart?

By Adriana Lebbos
The world is besieged by conflicts and hardships, casting a shadow over our daily lives. Every news brings tales of displacements and heartbreak, painting a grim canvas of our reality.

This naturally prompts a tricky question: is sharing stories unrelated to war in these dark times wrong?

The spotlight on conflict overshadows diverse human experiences, but do war-related stories lose their significance? Does the sheer gravity of warfare render other narratives irrelevant? And now, as we approach the holiday season, the weight of this question intensifies. How do we reconcile the joyous festivities with the prevailing global challenges, the upheaval, and the distress?

While war breaks hearts and lives, sidelining non-war tales disservice our human experiences, where resilience and hope often shine brightest. Amidst the chaos, non-war stories offer a much-needed break, reminding us of our shared strength and fostering empathy.

This isn't an invitation to be oblivious to the world's struggles. It's not a dismissal of the pain.

Instead, it's a call to balance acknowledging reality and disseminating hope. The true challenge lies in finding harmony amidst the chaos - a delicate equilibrium acknowledging turmoil while celebrating the moments that fortify our resilience and make life worth living.

Ultimately, it boils down to embracing the myriad experiences that form the fabric of our existence. I believe this is how we keep the light shining in the darkest of times.

This is where finding the correct stories to share becomes tricky. How do we honor the seriousness of events while showcasing a diverse tapestry of life? The holiday season embodies the spirit of generosity, compassion, and unity. It's a time to extend empathy to those in need and amplify acts of kindness.

Empathy should guide our storytelling, amplifying voices and celebrating unity amid hardship. This mix of acknowledging suffering and sharing moments of brightness defines the human spirit in tough times.

Our ability to navigate these tumultuous times with grace and compassion lies in our capacity to embrace the complexity of human experiences. In these times, sharing stories, embracing traditions, and cherishing moments of joy become a vital lifeline for our well-being and collective resilience.

While empathy for suffering should fuel our actions, sharing moments of happiness and hope is not a betrayal of this empathy. It's a testament to our unwavering belief in the endurance of the human spirit—a belief that light can still shine through amidst the darkest of times.

TL; DR: It's okay for writers and storytellers to veer away from war-centric narratives during conflict; it's about offering a broader, more nuanced understanding of our world. However, it necessitates sensitivity and knowledge of the gravity of events while providing a comprehensive view of our shared reality and spreading beams of hope.