Are You Out of Sync this Holiday Season?

~ humoringthegoddess

Saturday morning. I still feel like I’m sitting in a vacuum.

Still locked in by Covid, still need to do some Christmas shopping, still looking for inspiration for my next blockbuster novel. Or blog post.

There was a little snow out the window yesterday morning. I wasn’t impressed. Our Christmas lights are up, we blasted Christmas music yesterday while we worked around the house, and I even baked cookies. Talked to my kids who were going to visit the other set of grandparents, and all was well. Visited my brother-in-law who is now happily situated (well, almost happily) in an assisted living environment, a much, much better place than this time last year.

And still I’m not impressed.

Is this a seasonal funk? A senior funk? A Covid funk?

What ever happened to the excitement of the season?

We all have had a lot of extra stress this year. Even the things we don’t consider stressful add to the load we carry every day. We just put up with it. Like I put up with my sinus headaches when the weather changes.

But I don’t want to “just put up with it.” I want the stress to go away. I want to sit under a blanket and eat chocolate chip cookies and watch Christmas movies and pet my dog and wait for Santa to arrive.

I don’t want to grow up. I don’t want to deal with death and illness and hospital visits and financial problems and unemployment and the fear of Covid every place I look. I don’t want to listen to lies and made up stories and politics and prejudices.

I think 2020 has been a challenge for most of us. If you take out the Covid  and election equations, it’s probably no worse than any other year. Life is full of frustrations and disappointments. It’s just how it goes.

It’s what we do with those disappointments that make us who we are. Who we are going to be. We have to learn to either “just deal with it” or ignore it completely. It’s still all there.

I think that the most important thing to do this season is to vent your frustrations. Get them out of your body and release them to the cosmos. It’s okay to not be in the mood for Christmas cheer. It’s okay to be mmpphh about Christmas stockings and It’s a Wonderful Life and elf on the shelf.

The things we’ve had to face — things we have to face — are hard enough as it is. Forcing Christmas Cheer only puts more fuel on a smouldering fire.

I know I always feel better once I vent. I know I can’t change the flow of the river or the tilt of the Earth’s axis, but I sure can let the sour grapes raise to the surface so I can get rid of them before I get indigestion.

And I also know it doesn’t take much to slide over to the bright side. A favorite Christmas song, a phone call from a grandbaby, a text from a friend — it doesn’t take much to remind me that I am blessed in so many ways that the misfortunes that pass by are just a corner of the puzzle.

Life — in all its glory — is the rest of it.

Now — off to find those chocolate chip cookies —

 

 

Published by humoringthegoddess

I am a writer of fantasy fiction that often surrounds middle-aged women. I am a married mother of two and granny to three, a BoHo Chic kinda gal. I am recently retired and busier than when I worked 9-5. But writing and blogging is my main game.

12 thoughts on “Are You Out of Sync this Holiday Season?”

  3. My son lives only 600 meters from our home, we normally see them very often but at the moment just on face time. Have a wonderful Christmas Claudia !

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  4. Sounds wonderful — life is good, even though sometimes it takes a lot out of you. We only see my one son and his kids; we usually see about 15 family members on Christmas Day. Ah well… so much more to look forward to next year!

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  5. I feel about the same. Christmas decoration is up but it doesn’t feel like other years. Here in Belgium we may not even ask our children over, not even one ! not even our mother. Only when you live on your own you may ask 1 person for Christmas and one for New Years eve. Usually we celebrate with kids, grandkids, brothers and sisters and their kids and grandkids. This is going to be so weird. But I’m not complaining, we know why we are doing this. And like you, I have cookies in the oven; muesli cookies 😀

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  8. Yes yes! I am so glad someone else creative is going through the blues — even if they are tinged with pink. So much has changed this year — but we can’t let it change us. Not completely. There are ways we can still help our friends and family, even if we are stuck inside. Maybe I will photobomb some christmas cheer to all my family this Christmas Day!! Just thought of that! Why not?

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  9. You are not alone in your holiday frustrations. It will be different for everyone this Christmas.
    I am missing some of the holiday spirit because I’ve since retired (I put up a tree at work, we had stockings, a potluck, etc.) and I am not going out to stores to shop where I see Christmas lights and hear Christmas music. My roommate and I did not put up the big tree but instead opted for a smaller table-top that my mother had. I have not been volunteering at the “soup kitchen” since March and they will not be having their usual Christmas dinner that I helped serve at last year. I’m also debating about making any cookies since I can’t share at work, church or with the neighbors.

    The positive side, though, is if we remain well and healthy through all of this. What good is Christmas if we’re laying in our own bed or a hospital bed, not knowing if we’ll survive? I am willing to give up the usual holiday fair if it means coming out unscathed on the other side, to enjoy retirement and the next Christmas that rolls around. Do what you can this year and enjoy your family. I hope Santa brings you something fun and sprayed down with alcohol. 😉

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  12. You just said it all for me. Thanks! On the outside, I appear to be in the Christmas spirit but inside, not so much. I have a feeling of impending doom which is not like me. We’ll get through this, I know. Enjoy Christmas as much as you can and eat all the chocolate chip cookies you want!

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