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The Holidays Make Me Feel…
In today’s “Join the Discussion”, a literary exercise, let’s talk about how the holidays make us feel. With thyroid diseases and thyroid cancers, have the holidays changed for you? If so, how? Have the holidays taken on new meaning? Do you embrace the holidays? Are you terrified of the holidays or simply uncomfortable?
Let’s begin a discussion about the holidays. They’re here and they ain’t going away.
Ready? Set. Write.
Tags: chronic illness and holidays, graves disease blog, hashimoto's blog, invisible illness and holidays, literary exercises for thyroid patients, literary games for thyroid patients, literary support for thyroid patients, thyroid blog, thyroid cancer blog, thyroid disease blog, with thyroid cancer how do the holidays make you feel, with thyroid disease how do the holidays make you feel
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7 Responses to “The Holidays Make Me Feel…”
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I love the holidays- they distract me from the day-to-day and I love giving gifts and doing things for others. I do struggle with my limitations though- it is hard to admit that I can’t do everything and break the habit of over-committing myself. With the colder weather, sudden changes in health means I can’t always meet commitments so I have the double-whammy of feeling sad that I am missing out and guilt about letting others down. I am getting better at keeping expectations realistic- both for myself and for others.
… like there is something wrong with me because I don’t enjoy decorating (too much work and I’m exhausted just thinking about it), the holiday parties (don’t feel much like making small talk – life is too short to talk about nothing that interests me anymore), and most importantly, the constant guilt of not wanting to shop and spend, spend and spend just because it’s the most wonderful time of the year. Bah humbug!
Am I the only one who feels this way?
☮ ♥
Monica,
You are not the only one. It is tiring to decorate, I let my kids take care of it and am happy with whatever they come up with… since it would be nothing if it were up to me! I have issues with large crowds of people, so there aren’t any parties in my future… the family gathering is nice, because I can sit back and just listen. Even that is tiring. Spending = stress with me, I limit myself due to our super tight budget and it just gets to be too much. I don’t beat myself up if someone gives to us and we don’t have an “equal value” item to give in return. I make many gifts, and have a “white elephant” box that has generic but useful items to give in a pinch.
I think the thing that is hardest is that this is a wonderful time of the year, but why only once a year? Why can’t people be kind and generous all year long?
Peace to you,
Amanda
No, Monica. You’re not the only one.
At my best, this is a depressing time of year for me. At my worst, I find myself avoiding people — not wanting to “bring *them* down”. This weekend, my husband wanted the tree up. Our children are grown, no grandkids — I can do without the tree. But, it’s up, no ornaments yet, though the lights are strung, angel perched with the treetop up her bu — But… I’m still not feeling it. I *have to* shop and “make” Christmas for my elderly mother (Alzheimer’s). This could be her last “aware” Christmas. So, when around her, it’s all “Ho-Ho-Ho”.
I’ve even bought a few Christmas themed magazines (this usually helps), but this year with my thyroid whoppin’ my b*tt, it might be a White Christmas, but for me, it looks to be dreary. How I wish I even felt like going to a party….
So, I won’t force you to have a Merry Christmas if *you’ll* do the same for me. Just say: “Have a Feeling Good Holiday” and I’ll wish the same to you.
^|^
Oh… Ho-Ho-Ho!
I LOVE Christmas, but have to do my best to pace myself and stay in-tune with my body; rest when needed, isolate myself when necessary, etc. Concentrating on the true meaning and keeping it all in perspective helps me the most. My goal is to do for others and spread the love/cheer without sacrificing myself! Merry Christmas to all of you and your families! 🙂
For me the Festive Holidays are becoming increasing hardfer this year I havenlt wanted to put deocrations up I got my 4 year old to decorate the trees she did a good job too the rest is still in the boxes waiting to be put up. just shopping for presnts is a mammoth task donlt you just hate it you go out hoping to get everyine and not have to do it again only tio find you either miss something off yoru list or you forget the fucking list and half the stuff you wrote on it..I think I’ve nearly finishe not quite but nearly.
We always have family here for dinner so I do all the cooking not enjoying that much either.
I have to say my Highlights are taking my granddaughter to Santas grotto and me getting to sit on his knee thats the best present he could ever wish for.And on the day it’s watching everyone faces light up as they open there gifts and me sitting there thinking to myself another year of stress worrying about how much it’s going to cost me next year, it’s over in minutes and I got to go cook the fucking dinner and clean up there shit.
Does that make me a humbug good cus next year I plan on going to visit Santa in lap land and see if that belly he’s got is really that big I bet you wonder why he says Ho Ho Ho now you know 3 times in one night ain’t bad for an old guy a sugar daddy and I’m the biggest Ho!!!!
Hope you all have a happy Holiday and for those that like saying it a “Merry Christmas” because even now that isn’t politically (see the politicans even have a say in that) correct takes all the meaning out of what it really stands for.
Lolly HO!!!
Well quite honistly I wasn’t going to put up a tree.
I just wanted all the glitter to go away.
Having a hard time with the holidays this year.
The distance I feel from my own children is haunting me.
How does this happen?
We had been so close, maybe too close.
Bonded more by the young untimely death of their father many many years ago.
It isn’t about “him” anymore~hasn’t been for a long time.
It’s about the lack of “enough me” to be all they needed.
As I carryed on, trying my best, thinking that at least we had each other. I aways adored them.
But perhaps I wasn’t enough. Perhaps the break away is natural. Whichever, I was not ready.
My daughter has been married long enough to have several children.
My son, still single this year moved so far away. A two day drive. Is building a new life.
I haven’t adjusted yet. So much of who I was was about them. And now so much of who I am is about Graves.
I am trying, I am decorating, Art was my dream. My jobs stirred the art in me, decorating others homes and businesses. I lived in homes that needed work and myself while still at home with the kids rebuild and decorated these places and sold them for profit.
My lives grew and changed in the process. Widowed once, divorced once, and now married again almost 20 years and I’m only in my 50’s!
I felt old when I was young.
So now who am I?
Well I did put up a tree, and I’m giving it all I got. It’s about drowning in the art. Covering myself with ribbons and all that sparkles and maybe it will help.
I thought about taking pictures and sharing them on line with others who are alone this year.
Maybe I can be something to others who need me, I need to be needed.
That way of helping, I liked be a mother and mothering.
Lovingly, Linny