I enjoyed the opinion piece I came across from the New York Times by Tish Harrison Warren.  Some quotes that I enjoyed:

“We dwell in a world still racked with conflict, violence, suffering, darkness.  Advent holds space for our grief…”

After speaking some on the holiday hoopla full of optimism, happiness, and fun, etc…
“But life isn’t a Disney Cruise. The tyranny of relentless mandatory celebration leaves us exhausted and often, ironically, feeling emptier.”

This was an interesting thought for me to mull over.  In our relentless pursuits (of time saving technology, entertainment crammed into every free second, etc) often seem to cost more than they redeem.

Opinion | Want to Get Into the Christmas Spirit? Face the Darkness – The New York Times
or How I fell in love with the season of Advent.
— Read on www.nytimes.com/2019/11/30/opinion/sunday/christmas-season-advent-celebration.html