It is amazing but it has taken chronic illness to get me organized around Christmas. Every other year I am still out there a week before Christmas and I am up wrapping gifts into the wee hours of Christmas morning. This year I was done all of my shopping by the end of the first week in December and last weekend my kids spent the night with my mom and dad and I got all of the gifts wrapped...AMAZING to say the least. I have paid the price for all of the wrapping with hands that are extremely sore, swollen and refusing to work properly but I am done and now I can relax between now and Christmas. Not being stressed out over the holiday is very much worth it!
Had it not been for on-line shopping I would never have gotten any shopping done. I actually only physically had to go to two stores and I new exactly what I was getting so it was an in and out. I cannot walk for more than 20 minutes and then I start to drag and if I continue on I have to basically be carried out of the store. Thank goodness for shopping buggies that one can lean on to keep them moving. If I stand still for more than 5 minutes my feet begin to burn. This gets in the way of standing in line, cooking, doing dishes etc. The burning pain is the kind that takes your breath away it is so painful.
This weekend it is my youngest daughter's 9th birthday. She was an early Christmas gift and now she is growing up so fast. I am so happy to have the kids home for schooling and the gift of this time with my kids is more valuable to me than anything else could be. While we are celebrating my daughter's birthday this weekend we also have my step-daughter, son-in-law and two grandchildren here to celebrate Christmas with. It is going to be a whirlwind Christmas Celebrations that last weeks rather than a single day. It is a wonderful, joyous time of year and I try very hard to enjoy and let myself be distracted from the pain. Not so sure that is possible this year but I will do my very best!
The gifts are purchased and wrapped. Thanks to my husband, children and my parents the house is decorated and the tree is trimmed. All that is left is cleaning the house to be ready for company. I am truly blessed to have all of the amazing support that I have. My family is truly remarkable and there for me in each and every way possible. Sometimes I decline their help because well I am stubborn that way. I have been forced to give up hosting Christmas dinner for my family, my parents and my brother's family and the occasional friend who has nobody to spend the holiday with. This year my mom and dad are taking over and hosting Christmas Dinner. It will be so strange not to have a turkey in the oven early Christmas morning. I am sad that I won't be hosting this year. It is just one more thing that these damn diseases have taken from me. I tried to insist I could manage but we all know the reality if I try is that I will spend the following week at a minimum in bed recovering from over doing things. So I will behave, purchase the Turkey for my mom and dad and be grateful that I can enjoy a wonderful Christmas dinner with family without over doing it!
This truly is my favourite time of year! The lights on the Christmas tree are my favourite and I love to sit in the evening with all of the lights out other than the tree lights and I just enjoy. The happiness of children as they purchase gifts for their loved ones and when they receive gifts that people who loved them chose with care. Spending time with loved ones where nobody is in a hurry to be somewhere else. It really is a wonderful time of year. Now if we could have a nice blanket of snow Christmas Eve it would be perfect!
What are your family Christmas traditions? How will you spend Christmas this year?
© 2011 Rhonda
This year we are headed north. We have a large family get together on Christmas Eve 30+ people. Christmas day is the same group. This will be one of my last if not my last trek north. I keep praying I can make this drive as it is a long one and I don't do long drives well anymore at all. And have you tried the motorized carts? It took me 11 years to finally give in and use one. They are great when one can't do the walking in the stores and most stores have them (haven't seen them at malls yet but I avoid malls anyway).
ReplyDeleteDeb,
ReplyDeleteI hope you made the trip north safely and enjoyed Christmas with your very large family! I know what you mean about travel. I opt out of family trips and see it as a way to give my family a break from my illness. I know they would rather have me there but it is just too much. ((HUGS)) I hope next year to hear those same words from you "It will be my last trip north" I hope you can continue to do this for many years to come! ((HUGS)) I haven't given in to the motorized carts yet but they are a wonderful idea. I get enough stares for using the disabled parking and a cane I can only imagine...but then if I need it I really won't care what others think as they stare! Hope you had a WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS. Wishing you and your family all the best for 2012!! xoxo