Surviving the Holidays

The "Holiday Season" is nearly over and I will be sooooo glad. Christmas is the biggest problem; Kwanza and Chanukh don't intrude on people's lives the way Christmas does. There is the sappy, too jolly music, the traffic, the angst, the irritability of many people. It's hard to do my normal food shopping because stores are so crowded. And there's candy EVERYWHERE!

In a few days, the hysteria will fade away.

There are some fun and enjoyable things about this time of year:

I send Christmas/Holiday cards to many people. There are so many people I've met or worked with over the years whom I no longer see on any kind of regular basis. Yes, I could call and talk with them and sometimes I do. But sending a card and hand-writing a short (or sometimes long) note about what's happening in my life is something that I enjoy. And given that most of the mail I (and many others) receive is either bills or requests for donations, getting a real letter is a treat.

I see most of my family. My siblings, nieces and nephews all live just far enough away from me that we don't visit regularly. On the Sunday before Christmas, everyone who can meets at my sister's for a visit and gift exchange. When my parents were alive, we met at their fairly large house. When my parents moved to a senior complex, we tried meeting at other places, but all were too small. Then one sister moved into a condo that has a community room. We eat, and chat and have a Yankee gift exchange.

We already all have all the "stuff" we need - and more; not everyone has the financial capability to buy things for such a large family. We tried drawing names and buying a gift for just one person. We tried giving gifts only to the "little ones". (Where is the line drawn?). The Yankee swap gives us a chance to find a new home for something we no longer need/want. While I sometimes end up with something else I don't need/want, I have also been gifted with an item that brings fun and joy, if only temporarily.

While it's not actually noticeable, the days are now getting longer. There will be a few months of cold and snow, but then the weather will be warmer and I'll be much happier.

And I won't have to worry about "The Holidays" for nearly a year.

It's that time of year again ...

... when traffic is heavy, tempers are short, and Hungry Ghost bread will not reserve 2 loaves of my husband's favorite bread so that I can pick it up at a time that is convenient for me. Instead, I had to be at their door when they opened at 9 a.m. yesterday to make sure it was not already sold out.

Then I hurried off to Chair Yoga class, then to work, where there are all sorts of cookies, candy and coffee cake in the staff room. After work, I made a second trip to Northampton Center to buy vitamins at Cornucopia Foods.

This is also the time of VERY little daylight, as yesterday was the first official day of winter. I prefer summer. When it's dark, I feel cold regardless of the temperature. At least the weather has been relatively warm.

For me, because my family met and exchanged gifts last Sunday, Christmas feels over and done with and I'm ready to do "normal" things. Instead, my schedule is all askew. I'm working 3 days in a row this week and next.

Besides enjoying the uncommonly warm weather, I'm really looking forward to having 4 days in a row to hang around the house, tidy up, loaf around and read.

And I do, very much, love to see all of the Christmas lights on people's houses. They make me smile. I suppose the advantage of driving home in the dark is that I can see them better.

And Another Thing ...

... I don't like about the "Holiday Season" is that people feel compelled to make or bake or buy cookies, cake and candy and share them with others. It's good to share, but too tempting to overindulge on empty calories. In past years I've been known to consume all of those edible gifts as quickly as possible so that I can be rid of them and begin eating more healthfully again. I've managed a more sane approach lately and don't bring any "leftovers" home.

But I remember two things I like about this time of year.

1) It's a reminder to communicate with people I know and like but rarely see. Every December I sit down at the kitchen counter and write personal notes to my friends who now live in Maine, Buffalo, California, Dallas, Minnesota, Washington state and other far-flung places. I let them know what I've been doing and inquire about them and their families. Most of them also send a card to me with an update of their lives

2) We sometimes get to leave work early with a full day's pay. No Bah-Humbug there!

What a Curmudgeon!

Finally the "Holiday Season" is almost over and I'll be able to get back to somewhat of a routine. I'll be able to work regular hours and not have to telecommute or try to fit work around the MLS-west office being closed.

I'll be able to attend the senior exercise class and not have to cancel because the Senior Center needs the time and room to set up for the annual holiday party. I'll be able to go to the supermarket and buy ordinary things like toilet paper or eggs and not have to circle the parking lot looking for a parking space. The traffic is horrible and everyone's nerves are on edge.

I won't be subjected to all that schmaltzy Christmas music. UGH!

The one thing I really like about this time of year are all of the lights. The houses are lit up (sometimes a bit overdone, but ...), the trees have lights and I even have a few strings of mini-lights around windows and doors which I plug in every evening. That's so cheerful.

As for gift-giving, I give gifts when I see something I think someone else would like. Remember "Peace on Earth, good will toward men"? I try to be kind, considerate and thoughtful all year long. Unfortunately, the "Holiday Season" sometimes brings out the worst in me. I'm so glad it's almost over.

Bah, Humbug

I'm not a religious person. I hate the crass commercialism of any holiday. I don't have children and therefore don't (and never did) have to perpetuate the story of Santa Claus. I especially don't like trying to live a normal life - shop for food, have my hair cut, run other mundane errands - only to face incredible amounts of traffic on the city streets.

What I really hate most about Christmas - that season of "peace on earth and goodwill toward men" - is how frazzled and short tempered so many people become. While trying to navigate all that traffic, many drivers cut in front of other cars, lean on their horns, and generally become obnoxious.

However, there are a few things I like about the holiday season. I love the lights. I love driving down the street and seeing trees lit up. And one of the few concessions I make - that many others have abandoned - is writing personal notes in Christmas cards and sending them to people I seldom see. I don't want to lose touch with people I worked closely with 20 or 30 years ago. Many of them have moved far away but I still think of them. Facebook and other online connections are not the same as sitting down with a cheerful card and telling a friend (briefly) what I've been doing for the last year and wishing her or him well.

Now that we have entered the new year and the manic celebrations are over I can get back to my mundane routines and shop for food without fighting frantic crowds.

But I will miss the lights.