Stress and Depression during the Holidays (blog for clergy IL Great Rivers Annual Conference) 2016

from e-newsletter (Shauna Summers):
The holiday season is a time full of joy, cheer, parties, and family gatherings. However, for many people, it is a time of self-evaluation, loneliness, reflection on past failures, and anxiety about an uncertain future.

What causes Holiday Blues?

Many factors can cause the “holiday blues”: stress, fatigue, unrealistic expectations, over-commercialization, financial constraints, and the inability to be with one’s family and friends. The demands of shopping, parties, family reunions, and house guests also contribute to feelings of tension. People who do not become depressed may develop other stress responses, such as: headaches, excessive drinking, over-eating, and difficulty sleeping. Even more people experience post-holiday let down after Jan. 1. This can result from disappointments during the preceding months compounded with the excess fatigue and stress.

Coping with Stress and Depression During the Holidays

• Keep expectations for the holiday season manageable. Try to set realistic goals for yourself. Pace yourself. Organize your time. Make a list and prioritize the important activities. Be realistic about what you can and cannot do. Do not put entire focus on just one day (i.e., Thanksgiving Day) remember it is a season of holiday sentiment and activities can be spread out (time-wise) to lessen stress and increase enjoyment.
• Remember the holiday season does not banish reasons for feeling sad or lonely; there is room for these feelings to be present, even if the person chooses not to express them.
• Leave “yesteryear” in the past and look toward the future. Life brings changes. Each season is different and can be enjoyed in its own way. Don’t set yourself up in comparing today with the “good ol’ days.”
• Do something for someone else. Try volunteering some time to help others.
• Enjoy activities that are free, such as driving around to look at holiday decorations; going window shopping without buying; making a snowperson with children.
• Be aware that excessive drinking will only increase your feelings of depression.
• Try something new. Celebrate the holidays in a new way.
• Spend time with supportive and caring people. Reach out and make new friends or contact someone you have not heard from for awhile.
• Save time for yourself! Recharge your batteries! Let others share responsibility of activities.

First American Woman to win Nobel Prize in Literature -- on this date in 1938

from Writer's Almanac (American Public Media, Garrison Keillor):
On December 10, 1938 American writer Pearl Buck received the Nobel Prize in literature for The Good Earth (1931), a novel about the life of a farming family in a Chinese village on the eve of World War I. Buck was the first American woman to win the Nobel Prize in literature, and she was chosen above writers like Mark Twain and Theodore Dreiser, which caused some derision. William Faulkner, in particular, was still snippy about the award a decade later, when he received his own Nobel Prize.
Pearl Buck spent a year in an attic in Nanjing writing the book. The child of missionaries, she’d spent more than four decades in China, mostly living in the highest house in Zhenjiang, on Cloud Scaling Hill. About her life as an American living in China, she said: “I grew up in a double world, the small white clean Presbyterian American world of my parents and the big, loving, merry, not too clean Chinese world, and there was no communication between them. When I was in the Chinese world, I was Chinese. I spoke Chinese and behaved as a Chinese and ate as the Chinese did, and I shared their thoughts and feelings. When I was in the American world, I shut the door between.”

National Day of Remembrance -- Pearl Harbor 75th Anniversary

from White House dot-gov Press Office -- PROCLAMATION (Dec. 7, 2016):

Seventy-five years ago, Japanese fighter planes attacked the United States Naval Base at Pearl Harbor, destroying much of our Pacific Fleet and killing more than 2,400 Americans. The following day, President Franklin D. Roosevelt called on the Congress to declare war and "make it very certain that this form of treachery shall never again endanger us." In that spirit, Americans came together to pay tribute to the victims, support the survivors, and shed the comforts of civilian life to serve in our military and fight for our Union. Each year on National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, we honor those whose lives were forever changed that December morning and resolve to uphold the legacy of all who stepped forward in our time of need.
From the docks of Pearl Harbor to the beaches of Normandy and far around the world, brave patriots served their country and defended the values that have sustained our Nation since its founding. They went to war for liberty and sacrificed more than most of us will ever know; they chased victory and defeated fascism, turning adversaries into allies and writing a new chapter in our history. Through their service and unparalleled devotion, they inspired a generation with their refusal to give in despite overwhelming odds. And as we reflect on the profound debt of gratitude we owe them for the freedoms we cherish, we are reminded of the everlasting responsibilities we have to one another and to our country.
In memory of all who lost their lives on December 7, 1941 -- and those who responded by leaving their homes for the battlefields -- we must ensure the sacrifices they made in the name of liberty and democracy were not made in vain. On this solemn anniversary, there can be no higher tribute to these American patriots than forging a united commitment to honor our troops and veterans, give them the support and care they deserve, and carry on their work of keeping our country strong and free.
The Congress, by Public Law 103-308, as amended, has designated December 7 of each year as "National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day."
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim December 7, 2016, as National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. I encourage all Americans to observe this solemn day of remembrance and to honor our military, past and present, with appropriate ceremonies and activities. I urge all Federal agencies and interested organizations, groups, and individuals to fly the flag of the United States at half-staff this December 7 in honor of those American patriots who died as a result of their service at Pearl Harbor.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2016/12/06/presidential-proclamation-national-pearl-harbor-remembrance-day-2016

On this date in History -- end of "Prohibition Era"

from NY TIMES list serv (Monday 12/5/2016):

ON THIS DAY

On December 5, 1933, national Prohibition came to an end

as Utah became the 36th state to ratify the 21st Amendment

to the Constitution, repealing the 18th Amendment.

The astrophysics of the "Christmas Star" (Dec. 10 presentation at Univ. of Notre Dame, IN)

What & When Was the Christmas Star?

Saturday December 10, 2016 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM •            

What & When Was the Christmas Star?
An astrophysics perspective presented by Prof. Grant Mathews, Notre Dame Physics Department
At this time in the Christian year, we are often reminded that the gospel of Matthew records a peculiar astronomical event that occurred at the birth of Christ.

• What was this "Christmas Star": a comet, a nova, a super-nova, or a planet alignment?
• Who were the "wise men from the East"?

Prof. Mathews will review this many astronomical postulates and describe recent evidence that points toward some new answers to the nature and time of appearance of this special event.
Followed by a special video presentation of "A Season of Lights" by Lockness Productions
In the Digital Visualization Theater in Jordan Hall of Science, campus
Open to the public, but seats are limited.
www.physics.nd.edu/

International Day of the Persons with Disabilities (ADA) - Dec. 3, 2016 proclamation

Over a quarter-century ago, the United States enshrined into law the principles of equal access and equal opportunity for people with disabilities through the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which upholds the principle that each of us is entitled to a set of fundamental freedoms and protections. This progress has made America a leader in advancing the rights of people with disabilities around the globe. On International Day of Persons with Disabilities, we celebrate how far we have come in protecting the rights of those who live with disabilities and recommit to shaping a future in which all members of this community can enjoy their full rights and freedoms.
Building on the progress of the ADA, my Administration has taken important steps to remove barriers and eliminate discrimination based on disability. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, individuals can no longer be denied coverage because of a pre-existing condition or disability. We have supported increasing funding for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, reauthorized the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and strengthened anti-discrimination and Olmstead enforcement at the Department of Justice. Additionally, we created the first-ever Special Advisor for International Disability Rights, and we established the United States Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Gender-Based Violence Globally in order to address violence against women and girls around the world -- because women with a disability are more likely to experience physical and sexual abuse than women without one. And last year, we committed to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, which recognize inclusive education, disability employment, and social acceptance of the disability community as important steps to ending world poverty.
Our progress at home reflects our full commitment to the rights of people with disabilities around the world. America was the first country to comprehensively address non-discrimination on the basis of disability in national legislation and declare that disability rights are human rights which must be recognized and promoted everywhere. In my first year in office, the United States joined 140 other nations in signing the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities -- the first international human rights convention to fully address human rights in the context of disability. Now joined by over 160 States Parties, this Convention serves as a beacon of hope to the more than 1 billion people worldwide who live with a disability -- a reminder that the need to protect disability rights does not end at our borders. Regrettably, the Senate has still not provided its advice and consent for ratification of this Convention, and I urge them to do so and to uphold our global commitment to the international disability community.
We have taken important steps forward to advance the rights of persons with disabilities, but the fight is not over. As long as anyone succumbs to casual discrimination or fear of the unfamiliar, we have more work to do to honor the many people with disabilities who have shared their stories of exclusion and injustice -- and the millions more they spoke up for. Because of the advocates who have led the way, more individuals with disabilities can pursue their full measure of happiness. They have taught us that our world is far better off when all people can live up to their full potential -- it makes all of us more whole, and it makes our world a better place.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim December 3, 2016, as International Day of Persons with Disabilities. I call on all Americans to observe this day with appropriate ceremonies, activities, and programs.
www.whitehouse.gov    -- Press Office -- Proclamations

Antarctica Treaty (On this date in History)

from NY TIMES List-serv (Dec. 1, 2016):
On Dec. 1, 1959, representatives of 12 countries, including the United States,
signed a treaty in Washington setting aside Antarctica as a scientific preserve,
free from military activity.